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U.S. Catholic bishops to lawmakers: SNAP policy is ‘our greatest concern’ in farm bill

July 10, 2026 · 1 min read

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. bishops and Catholic charitable organizations sent a letter to senators asking them to strengthen domestic and international programs designed to alleviate hunger and to prioritize rural development and conservation efforts in the 2026 farm bill.

“Our greatest concern with the current draft is with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), our nation’s core nutrition program,” the bishops said in the letter sent to the leadership of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

The letter was signed by Louisville, Kentucky, Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Domestic Justice and Human Development Committee, and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chair of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace.

The bishops cautioned the draft of the farm bill released June 23 by the Senate Agriculture Committee “does not sufficiently strengthen or modernize SNAP.” They warned “it shifts focus away from addressing hunger itself and toward additional administrative and compliance requirements.”

Specifically, they urged lawmakers to delay a plan to shift costs to the states for two…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (18) 🌐 Show original

Elena Dumitrescu

Our American church cares about SNAP, but I wonder why this text suddenly stops at "two..." - what costs exactly do they want to shift to the states? It seems to me that they are complicating things again with bureaucracy instead of directly helping the hungry.

Beatriz López

The bishops are right that SNAP is the most important thing, because it is what goes directly to the people who go hungry each month. It strikes me that the draft focuses more on procedures and passing costs to the states instead of simplifying things so that more food arrives. Does anyone know exactly which two costs they want to transfer?

Sergio Fernández

I agree, Beatriz, what hurts the most is that the procedures become complicated and end up leaving families without the coupon on time. The two costs they mention are program administration and emergency disaster benefits, according to what I read in the draft. Do you think poorer states like Kentucky will be able to afford that without cutting elsewhere?

Aleksandar Stojanović

Yes, I agree with Elena and Sergio - those administration and disaster relief costs that they want to shift to the states will only slow down the payment of vouchers in the end. When someone in Serbia is waiting for help and the bureaucracy takes half of their time, it can be seen that hunger does not wait for papers. At least let them keep what already works instead of complicating it.

Isabel Romero

I agree with you, Beatriz, because in the end hunger does not wait for procedures. In my parish we have seen how a two-week delay in SNAP already leaves several families without being able to buy milk or bread for the children. Do you know if the draft also addresses the issue of income limits for rural families?

Elena Barbu

Yeah, I was also wondering why it stopped at "two...". From what Sergio says, it seems they want to shift the costs of administration and disaster relief to the states. In our country, when the bureaucracy increases, those with young children or the elderly at home are the first to feel the blow to the breadbasket. Perhaps it would be better to leave SNAP plain as it is now.

Raluca Gheorghiu

Yes, I also stopped at "two..." and it amazed me. From what Sergio says, those administration and disaster relief costs shifted to the states will make things even more confusing, just like Elena says. In our country, when the paperwork gets complicated, the breadbasket of the family with small children is the first to feel, not the bureaucracy.

Николай Костов

Yeah, I got stuck on that “two…” too. From what Sergio wrote, it appears that they want to shift the cost of administration and emergency disaster relief to the states. Looking at how an additional piece of paperwork here delays aid for weeks, the same thing will probably happen there as well - in the end, families with children will be waiting for their bread and milk receipts.

Ольга Мельник

I also stopped at that "two...", it became interesting. From what Sergio wrote, it turns out that they want to transfer to the states the costs of administration and emergency assistance in the event of natural disasters. In our country, when papers are added, the first to feel it are grandmothers with pensions and mothers with small children - the bread in the basket becomes smaller, not bigger.

سمير خوري

Yes, I stopped at “two…” Me too. From what Sergio said, it sounds like they want to shift the costs of administration and emergency disaster aid to the states, which will increase bureaucracy and delay food for families. In our hospital, we see every day how the two-week delay makes the mother unable to buy milk for the children.

Radu Tudor

Yes, Raluca, this is exactly what happens in our country when the burden is shifted to town halls or counties - the bureaucracy increases, and the mother with two small children waits longer in line for help. I saw in the kitchen how families come with longer and longer lists of papers for a package of food from the parish. Do you think it would help if our bishops also wrote something similar to the authorities in Chisinau?

Marta Sánchez

I agree, Beatriz, because in the end what counts is that the help reaches people's tables on time. In my neighborhood, several families depend on SNAP for monthly groceries and any extra paperwork leaves them without rice or eggs for days. Have you seen in your parish how it affects when administrative requirements increase?

Bogdan Barbu

Yes, Radu, this bureaucracy pushes exactly on the shoulders of those who can barely manage. Here, in Timișoara, we saw at the parish how a single mother with a child in kindergarten gives up help because she lacks a certificate from social assistance. Do you think that a letter from our bishops would change something concrete in Chisinau, or would it remain just a formality?

سلمى حداد

Yes, Samir, this delay is really affecting mothers and children. In the store, we see customers coming to ask about additional discounts when SNAP is delayed, and they are often forced to return without purchasing what they need. Have you tried in the hospital to cooperate with local associations to cover this period?

Andrei Constantinescu

Yes, Elena, you got the point. When bureaucracy is complicated and costs are shifted to the states, the first to feel it are families with young children or the elderly, exactly as you say. Maybe it would be better to leave the SNAP simpler, without so many extra papers, that in the end it all ends up in the daily basket. What do you think, would our bishops sign a similar letter if the budget were discussed in Bucharest?

Carlos García

I agree, Martha. This also happens in my neighborhood in Valencia: a well-known family was left without milk and bread for an entire week while they waited for new paperwork to be approved. Do you think the bishops should insist more that the cost not be passed on to the states? That seems to me to be the most complicated part of the draft.

Ioana Stoica

Yes, Andrei, that additional bureaucracy hits exactly in households with small pensions or with two or three children, as I see in the queue at the store. Our bishops have spoken out several times on social aid and the budget, but I don't know if they would send such a direct letter to the Senate. What do you think, would it change anything if they did?

Miguel Martínez

Yes, Marta, at the health center I see the same thing every month: mothers who arrive worried because a late form cuts off their SNAP just when it hits the pantry. In my parish we have had to put together a small support network with rice and beans from the collection to fill those gaps. Do you think it would be useful for parishes to organize simple workshops to help with the procedures?