With the recent passage of the Big Beautiful Bill, Americans are still waiting for the full implementation of its policies. Recently, at the State of the Union held on Feb. 24, President Donald J. Trump highlighted the changes to SNAP. Notably, $200 billion in cuts over the span of 10 years is in the process of being set in motion. With changes to eligibility requirements and expanded work requirements, 2.4 million Americans are projected to lose their benefits.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides 42 million low-income Americans with f o o d stipends. Under a 2025 ruling, it was decided that 25 percent of the cost of SNAP benefits would be pushed onto the state, rather than paid for by the federal government. Usually, this is split 50 percent between the state and federal government. Now, starting in October 2026, it is estimated that these changes to SNAP policy will incur a cost of billions of dollars for the states.
Not only has the current administration made financial cuts to SNAP, but they have also increased the barrier to entry. The new changes to SNAP increased the work requirements for adults aged 55 to 64 and parents of children over 14, while removing exemptions for the homeless, veterans and former foster care youth. New regulations require individuals to present proof of at least 20 hours of work-time, or they’ll be under threat of losing their benefits. Previously, this policy only applied to individuals 18-54 with no dependents.
Democrats pointed out that, while Americans go hungry on our streets, Trump boasted during the State of the Union that, “We cut a record number of job-killing regulations, and in one year we have lifted 2.4 million Americans, a record, off of food stamps.”
This number seems to correlate directly with the recent SNAP cuts.
One in six Oregonians relies on SNAP benefits. That’s over 757,000 people whose benefits are in jeopardy because of this policy change in Oregon alone. Individuals using SNAP will also have to provide more information more often as time goes on, decreasing the time between benefit renewals, increasing complications for those using SNAP. As more documentation is required, the chance for bottlenecks and errors is increased.
These changes are projected to put strain on local food assistance programs. Already, some food pantries are readying themselves for the increased demand of food. Tualatin High School provides the Campus Cupboard, which is open from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. except for lunch times, located next to room 106 in the North Commons.
The Oregon Food Bank reports that the number of its visits increased by 51 percent, reaching a record high of 2.9 million visits in 2025. As these policy changes take place, they expect the number of visits to increase even more. While the Oregon Food Bank remains strong, continued pressure from the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill will challenge Oregon’s ability to support the hungry as a whole.
When these changes rolled out, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek directed $5 million in state funds to food banks. While this shift of funds was only meant as a short-term solution, policymakers and officials alike have been fighting to secure SNAP benefits for Oregon’s citizens despite pushback from the federal government.
As the current administration continues to pare down benefits relied on by the less fortunate of the nation, the limits of community support will continue to be tested. Whether it be through larger-scale operations such as the Oregon Food Bank or local assistance programs such as Tualatin High School’s very own Campus Cupboard, every effort made to combat hunger in our nation and communities is a step toward food security.
