AAP Statement on Senate Committee Rejection of the Agricultural Act of 2026

By: Andrew D. Racine, MD, PhD, FAAP, president, American Academy of Pediatrics 

“The American Academy of Pediatrics is encouraged by today’s rejection of the Agricultural Act of 2026 in the Senate Agriculture Committee. This Farm Bill would have failed to restore the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or mitigate the devastating cuts that H.R. 1 made to the program.  

“Pediatricians know that a hungry child is not a healthy child. Nutrition is one of the key determinants of health for children. When a child is hungry or lacks access to healthy food, the consequences are far-reaching – from affecting their ability to concentrate in school and learn, to putting them at risk for chronic disease that can follow them into adulthood. SNAP works by giving families the peace of mind that they will be able to put food on the table, but right now, it is deeply concerning that likely more than 1.5 million children have already lost access to this lifeline program.  

“The Farm Bill that failed today in the Senate Agriculture Committee and the U.S. House of Representatives’ version passed earlier this spring do not put children and families first. If the Farm Bill is taken up again in committee, it must delay the benefit cost shift to states for two years so that states can make changes to effectively and efficiently administer SNAP without further participation losses, especially among children. 

“SNAP is an investment in child health and our country’s future, and Congress should be seeking to protect and strengthen it – not undermine it.” 

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.