SNAP, Project 2025, and the Politics of Hunger: What’s Really at Stake for American Families

Project 2025’s Approach to SNAP and the Safety Net

We all benefit from
sound nutrition.

Project 2025, a policy blueprint developed by the Heritage Foundation and allied conservative groups, lays out an extensive plan to reshape federal government programs. One key section targets welfare and nutrition assistance programs, including SNAP. 

The plan argues that current safety-net systems discourage work and expand government dependency. To address that, Project 2025 proposes tightening eligibility rules, increasing work requirements for able-bodied adults, and reducing states’ flexibility to expand access to benefits. It also calls for reversing updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, which determines how much assistance families receive, effectively lowering SNAP benefit levels over time. Supporters say these reforms would encourage self-sufficiency, while critics warn they would push millions into food insecurity. Households with males are supposed to get more benefits because males consume more food as they have greater muscle mass.

Shutdowns and SNAP: How They Connect

Although Project 2025 doesn’t explicitly advocate for government shutdowns, its push to shrink federal programs overlaps with the kind of budget standoffs now threatening SNAP funding. When Congress fails to pass spending bills, the U.S. Department of Agriculture can only continue SNAP benefits temporarily using carryover funds. If a shutdown drags on, those reserves run out, leaving millions uncertain about their next month’s groceries. As of mid-October, federal officials have warned states that SNAP funding beyond November could be delayed if the shutdown continues. That means families may experience sudden benefit interruptions—not because of new legislation, but because of stalled government operations.

What It Means for Families and Communities

For the 40 million Americans who rely on SNAP, these political battles have real consequences. Grocery prices remain high, wages haven’t kept up with inflation, and food banks are already stretched thin. Any reduction in benefits—or even a short-term delay—can leave households skipping meals or choosing between food, rent, and medicine. Whether the next few months bring policy reform or a funding crisis, the outcome will shape how the nation cares for its most vulnerable citizens.

Who gets SNAP?

SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) serves people of all races and backgrounds across the United States. It’s based on income and household need, not race. However, government data shows that participation rates vary among racial and ethnic groups — largely reflecting broader patterns of income inequality and access to resources.

Here’s what the most recent USDA and Census data (2023–2024) show:

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SNAP Participation by Race and Ethnicity

According to the USDA’s most recent Characteristics of SNAP Households report:

• White (non-Hispanic): ~36–38% of participants
• Black or African American: ~25–27%
• Hispanic or Latino: ~17–19%
• Other races (Asian, Native American, multiracial, etc.): ~15–20% combined

(Percentages can vary slightly by year and how “race” and “ethnicity” are categorized.)

Context

• White Americans make up the largest number of SNAP recipients, because they represent the largest share of the total U.S. population.
• Black and Hispanic households are more likely to use SNAP, proportionally, due to higher rates of poverty and lower access to generational wealth and economic opportunity.
• SNAP also serves many children, seniors, and people with disabilities — groups across all racial lines.

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Bottom Line

SNAP isn’t a “racial” program — it’s an anti-hunger program that provides food assistance to working families, veterans, seniors, and children from every community in the U.S.

The data reflects economic disparities more than racial ones.