Farm Bill provisions would increase food insecurity and invalidate California’s state rights
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representative Lou Correa (CA-46) voted NO on the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567), which aims to extend the Farm Bill for another five years, due to provisions that would cement deep cuts to SNAP benefits and undermine California’s state rights.
“Traditionally, Democrats and Republicans have worked together on the Farm Bill to help farmers stay in business while also feeding the elderly, low-income families, and the homeless. The federal government would buy farmer’s surplus food and the government would then give that food to the less fortunate. But this year, a Farm Bill has been introduced that removes that food assistance, hurting both farmers and the most vulnerable among us,” said Rep. Lou Correa. “As we spend billions of American taxpayer dollars on an unjustified war in Iran and overfund the Department of Homeland Security—which misuses money and abuses American citizens—Congress is now considering permanently cutting SNAP benefits. This legislation is completely unamerican.”
Harmful provisions that Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 include:
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Cementing Deep Cuts to SNAP Benefits: The Farm Bill would codify the $187 billion cuts made to SNAP by Trump’s Big, “Beautiful” Bill, impacting 40 million Americans, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 1.2 million veterans, and 4 million people with disabilities. 3.4 million Americans have already had food assistance taken away. According to the California Association of Food Banks, 123,200 people in California’s 46th Congressional District relied on SNAP last year.
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Undermining California’s State Rights: The Farm Bill would keep states from setting their own food standards. In 2018, nearly two thirds of California voters approved a ballot measure that increased protections for animals raised for food. This ballot measure was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in May 2023. A provision in the Farm Bill seeks to undermine the California animal-welfare law again.
“After California voted to enforce stronger animal-welfare protections, multiple attempts have been made to shut down their voices—a clear attack on states’ rights,” Rep. Correa added. “As someone who cares about the political process, the rights of Californians, and the humane treatment of animals, I cannot stand for this. The American people deserve a clean Farm Bill.”
This legislation is opposed by numerous organizations, including Second Harvest of Orange County, California Food Banks, Community Action Partnership of Orange County, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, American Association for Justice, ASPCA, Center for American Progress, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Catholic Relief Services, CARE Chefs' Table, Carbon180, Climate Action Campaign, Coalition on Human Needs, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Working Group, Evangelical Environmental Network, Evergreen Action, Feeding America, Food & Water Watch, Food Research & Action Center, Friends Committee on National Legislation, HEAL Food Alliance, Hunger Free America, Interfaith Power and Light, James Beard Foundation, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, MomsRising, National Education Association, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides, Oregon Food Bank, Oxfam, UFCW, Union of Concerned Scientists, and UnidosUS.
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