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‘Big Beautiful Bill’ cuts some SNAP funding, Feeding Tampa Bay worries about community need [1]
['Evyn Moon']
Date: 2025-07
The Brief New federal legislation cuts some SNAP funding and imposes stricter eligibility rules. Local food banks warn the changes could leave more families hungry. Florida could be forced to cover nearly $1 billion in lost federal support, according to U.S. Representative Kathy Castor.
A sweeping new federal spending bill, dubbed the "Big Beautiful Bill," passed in Congress last week, cuts some funding for SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
What we know:
While Republicans tout the legislation as a win for cutting costs, local food assistance programs say the changes could have consequences for millions of families.
The bill reduces federal SNAP funding, introduces stricter work requirements, and limits future benefit increases.
Feeding Tampa Bay, one of Florida’s largest food banks, says the shift will put increased pressure on organizations like theirs to fill the gap.
By the numbers:
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service estimates more than forty-one million people used SNAP support in 2024. Three million of those participants are in Florida, which is about 13% of the population.
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimates the average daily food benefit per recipient is about six dollars and twelve cents.
Feeding Tampa Bay's CEO told us one-hundred million meals is their annual capacity. The nonprofit says they can't keep up with new demand.
U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) said Florida would need one billion dollars in additional costs to cover and maintain food assistance levels.
Local perspective:
Thomas Mantz, president of Feeding Tampa Bay, said they help more than a million people across ten counties. He fears the changes could add hundreds of thousands more in need with no increase in resources.
"We do not have the capacity to make up for these cuts," Mantz said. "For every one meal Feeding Tampa Bay can provide, SNAP provides nine."
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) called the changes dangerous, especially with rising grocery prices and families already stretched thin.
"This food assistance is a lifeline," Castor said. "I'm skeptical the state will step in [to help funding]. So I think it's more likely that people are going to go hungry."
The other side:
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the bill as a way to "make America great again," while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it a "once-in-a-generation opportunity."
U.S. Representative Glenn Thompson (R-PA) added, "we're saving nearly $200 billion by restoring integrity to SNAP, closing loopholes, reinforcing work and ending unchecked state abuse. All while preserving the program for the truly vulnerable".
What's next:
The changes to SNAP won’t happen overnight. New eligibility rules and funding shifts will phase in over the next several years. But food banks are already preparing and calling on the community for support.
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[1] Url:
https://www.fox13news.com/news/big-beautiful-bill-cuts-some-snap-funding-feeding-tampa-bay-worries-about-community-need
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