Statement from Dr. Jeremy Everett on Cuts to SNAP in the "Big, Beautiful Bill"
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tasha Roberts, Director of Public Affairs | 254-710-8794
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Today, Congress passed a sweeping budget reconciliation package – hailed by some as the “Big, Beautiful Bill” – that includes billions of dollars in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty issues the following statement from Executive Director Dr. Jeremy Everett on these cuts:
"We are not only grieved – we are stunned. The decision to gut SNAP, the most effective anti-hunger program in our nation’s history, is not simply misguided policy. It is a compromise of values. Since 1964, SNAP has fed hungry children, strengthened rural economies, and helped working families bridge the gap between hardship and stability. Now, with these historic cuts, states are being handed the burden of billions in program and administrative costs – costs many cannot afford and did not ask for.
The consequences of the cuts to SNAP in this bill will be devastating for struggling Americans. Families will lose access to basic nutrition. Children will go to school hungry. Seniors will skip meals to afford medicine. Some states may opt out of SNAP entirely. This isn’t reform – it’s abandonment.
As Christians, we are called to speak plainly when justice is at stake. In Matthew 25, Jesus makes it unmistakably clear: ‘Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ This is not abstract theology. Our refusal to live by this teaching is a litmus test for the condition of our souls.
To reject care for the vulnerable is to reject Christ himself. It is to replace humility with arrogance, mercy with ideology, and love with fear. When our leaders prioritize politics over people, especially the poor, they may win the day, but they lose the way.
Let us be clear: empathy is not weakness. Compassion is not compromise. Feeding the hungry is not a partisan issue – it is a gospel issue. As believers, we are not called to shrink back in moments like this. We are called to stand up.
We urge policymakers, especially those of faith, to reconsider not just the budgetary implications of this bill, but the spiritual cost of what it represents. Scripture does not allow us to turn a blind eye to suffering, and neither should our laws.
ABOUT THE BAYLOR COLLABORATIVE ON HUNGER AND POVERTY
Founded in 2009, the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty began with the goal of making sure every Texan has access to three nutritious meals each day. Using a collective impact approach, the Baylor Collaborative worked alongside local communities to build coalitions of likeminded stakeholders committed to ending hunger in their communities and partnered with school districts and community organizations to make sure more children had access to meals outside of school.
Today, the Baylor Collaborative continues to partner with stakeholders across Texas, the nation, and the globe fighting to end hunger. These partnerships allow for pioneering research, the testing and evaluation of innovative models for ending hunger, and collaboration with leaders to scale those ideas for maximum impact. To learn more about the Baylor Collaborative, visit: http://hungerandpoverty.web.baylor.edu.