On July 4th President Donald Trump signed into law the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Packed into the grab bag of administration objectives, including tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, are measures that will make food insecurity worse across the nation.
Trump and his allies in Congress winnowed down America’s already thin economic safety net. The law begins to dismember the federal program once known as food stamps — now known as SNAP —the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program which provides an average of $187 a month per person. About 42 million Americans rely on it to fight food insecurity.
The San Antonio Food Bank, through its CEO Eric Cooper, has expressed significant concerns about the impact of the Trump administration's policies on its clients in San Antonio.
Food banks have already directly felt the impact of federal funding cuts, including the termination of pandemic-era programs that provided $1 billion annually to combat food insecurity. These cuts have reduced the San Antonio Food Bank's budget by millions of dollars, impacting their ability to purchase food.
Anti-hunger advocates are particularly concerned about the cuts to SNAP, arguing that for every meal the San Antonio Food Bank distributes, SNAP provides nine. As a result, families will be forced to ration food or lose benefits entirely.
But there are other Trump policies which are making feeding families more difficult. The tariffs and trade wars could drive up food prices, impacting both the Food Bank's ability to purchase food and the affordability of groceries for families, potentially increasing the demand for their services. In 2023, Mexico supplied a large percentage of US fruit and vegetable imports, suggesting tariffs could significantly affect the cost and availability of these items.
Then there is the anticipated contraction in the economy which will cause lay-offs and job losses. The San Antonio Food Bank anticipates increased demand for their services due to widespread layoffs of federal employees under the current administration. They've observed that unemployed individuals often seek food assistance and worry that they may be stretched too thin to meet the rising needs of the community.
The Food Bank emphasizes that hunger is a bipartisan issue and urges lawmakers to prioritize solutions that ensure families have access to nutritious food. They continue to advocate for policies that strengthen food assistance programs and support local communities, while also seeking increased private donations to help cover the funding shortfall.
Guest:
Michael Guerra is the Chief Philanthropy Officer at the San Antonio Food Bank.
The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org.
This episode will be recorded on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
