After its pause during the government shutdown, beginning on Oct. 1, 2025, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), an initiative that battles hunger for American citizens, was finally restored on Nov. 12, 2025. SNAP provides the basic human right to food for millions of Americans, yet many households will remain cut off from the necessary meals they need due to changed policies enacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The citizens that the program supports are threatened by a lack of funding and stricter policies, limiting their access to healthy, nutritional food. The government must prioritize SNAP because the struggling families left hungry during the temporary shutdown demonstrate the consequences of tightened requirements, foreshadowing the effects of cutting many Americans off from aid.
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SNAP feeds one in every eight Americans, over 40 million people, and over 310,000 of them are recipients living in Orange County. The lack of sufficient funding and expanded requirements risks depriving Americans of adequate nutrition and endangering the lives of millions. The program assists in buying produce, dairy, protein, and other healthy foods for underprivileged Americans. Without these crucial components, one might be malnourished or rely on unhealthy alternatives, resulting in diet and weight-related issues…