As Trump Cuts Food Aid for Families, Assembly Democrats Fight to Protect CalFresh Benefits

• Nick Miller
• Communications Director
• 916-319-2029
• [email protected]

SACRAMENTO- On Wednesday, the Assembly Select Committee On Calfresh Enrollment And Nutrition met to examine harmful actions by the Trump administration that continue to threaten food assistance programs for Californians, with a focus on how the state can help keep families enrolled in CalFresh benefits.

Chaired by Assemblymember Mia Bonta of Oakland and Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins of San Diego, the hearing brought together state officials, policy experts, food bank and nonprofit operators, and advocates to discuss the devastating impacts of President Trump's H.R. 1 budget bill, which includes extreme cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as CalFresh in California.

What Assembly Members Are Saying

"California feeds the entire nation, but Trump and Republicans are causing chaos that threatens food benefits for families who need it most. Our Assembly is committed to protecting CalFresh, improving access to healthy food and ensuring every California family can afford to eat with dignity."

- Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas

"As a mom, former school board member, and legislator, I know how important it is for a child to know where their next meal is coming from for their development. We cannot afford to be silent about the chaos facing our food assistance and nutrition programs being driven by the Trump administration, and I'm proud to be facing this head-on as Co-Chair of the Select Committee on CalFresh Enrollment and Nutrition. California must stand up to Trump's starvation plans and ensure no Californian goes hungry."

- Assemblymember Mia Bonta, chair of Assembly Health Committee

"CalFresh has always been a critical lifeline for California families. Even at an average of $6 per day, this funding kept working parents and their children from going hungry. Now the cuts from the federal government in H.R. 1 threaten funding and will likely kick more than 600,000 individuals out of the program. Food security is not only about hunger. It is about safety, health, mental wellness, job productivity, and more. With this Select Committee I am looking forward to a forum to uplift these issues and how they affect all Californians and the variety of involved industries. I hope that through our work my colleagues can come together on a California solution to these devastating federal cuts"

- Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins.

How Trump is Taking Food Away From California Families

Trump's draconian policies that target food-aid programs are significantly reducing access to benefits for the Californians who need and deserve help the most.

This month, the Trump administration's new H.R. 1 requirements terminated CalFresh benefits for legal immigrants, such as refugees and individuals seeking asylum. As a result, an estimated 70,000 Californians lose access to food assistance, leaving families to navigate rising grocery prices without critical support.

And this summer, additional federal requirements set to take effect on June 1 will impose stricter work requirements for families, requiring proof of at least 20 hours of work per week in order to maintain benefits.

These severe rules often result in Californians losing benefits due to administrative barriers, inconsistent work schedules, or difficulties navigating complex reporting systems.

In total, the new requirements put approximately 816,000 Californians at risk of ineligibility for food assistance.

Trump's cruel policies come at a time when Californians are already struggling with the rising cost of groceries, gas and other household necessities. Prices have increased due to Trump's lack of a plan for military conflict in Iran and tariffs.

Children, Workers, Seniors, Veterans - These Californians Rely on Food Aid

One in seven Californians rely on CalFresh, with the program primarily serving working families - about 63 percent of householdsreceiving CalFresh benefits include someone who was employed during the year.

CalFresh is also the largest and most effective child anti-hunger program: Nearly half of all recipients are children, and two-thirds of benefits go to households with children.

Additionally, more than a thirdof benefits go to families with seniors or people with disabilities.

Federal cuts could ripple across California's food system, increasing demand at food banks while reducing grocery spending that supports local farmers, small businesses and communities.

This Wednesday's Assembly select committee hearing is part of an ongoing effort to make sure California understands the full impact of Trump's attack on California's program and to explore ways the state can help families remain connected to and enrolled with food assistance programs.