FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
22 November 2025
Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov
Reps. Barragán and Bell Introduce the Food Assurance and Security Act to Restore USDA’s Annual Food Access Report
Washington, D.C.—Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) and Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) introduced the Food Assurance and Security Act, legislation that reinstates and protects the federal government’s annual reporting on hunger and food insecurity in the United States. The bill requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in coordination with the Census Bureau, to maintain an interagency food security measurement program and publish comprehensive yearly data on household food insecurity—data that was halted under the Trump Administration after its historic cuts to SNAP.
Last month, Rep. Barragán also sent a letter, joined by 21 other House Democrats, to USDA that urged the continuation of the food security report when the agency first announced its discontinuation. The letter also urged for immediate reinstatement of the agency researchers who were placed on non-disciplinary administrative leave who worked on the survey.
“I am proud to co-lead this bill, which reinstates the annual food access report published by the USDA. The Trump administration ended this report right after they made the largest cuts to SNAP in history. This cannot be coincidence,” said Rep. Barragán. “Kicking hardworking Americans off SNAP means more people will be forced to go to food banks or shelters because basic groceries are too expensive. We cannot stand by and watch as the Trump Administration tries to hide the real harm of their cuts to food assistance by cancelling this report.”
“Families across the country are struggling to put food on the table, and the last thing they need is a government trying to hide the full scope of hunger in America,” said Rep. Bell. “Restoring this report ensures we confront the real challenges people are facing instead of sweeping them under the rug.”
“Today’s introduction of the Food Assurance and Security Act comes as the Trump administration moves to erase the benchmark Household Food Security Report,” said Crystal FitzSimons, president of the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). “This report has been our roadmap to understanding who is struggling to put food on the table, and the solutions needed to ensure no one goes hungry in the world’s wealthiest nation. The most recent cuts to SNAP will undoubtedly deepen hunger and hardship. Eliminating this annual data will only hide the reality of hunger, not end it. We can’t let this happen, especially as families grapple with the rising costs of food, housing, health care, and other basic needs. We strongly urge Congress to pass this bill without delay.”
SNAP has proven to reduce food insecurity and strengthen financial stability for young people building their futures. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to the Urban Institute, nearly 3 million young adults ages 18 to 24 are at risk of losing these benefits, as the law includes $186 billion in cuts to SNAP.
Read the full bill text here.
Read the full letter text here.
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