Kentucky Governor Writes USDA: SNAP Changes Have Left More Than 80,000 Without Food Assistance, Including 24,655 Children
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on October 14 sent letters to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and to Kentucky's congressional delegation over federal changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). According to the governor's office, the changes have resulted in more than 80,000 Kentuckians losing access to food assistance, including 24,655 children and 6,572 seniors.
The governor's office attributed the losses to legislation pushed by President Trump, saying it significantly reduced benefits, expanded work requirements and shifted costs to the states. The governor's office estimated that around 5 million Americans, including more than 1 million children, have lost SNAP benefits since July 2025.
"We should be fighting hunger, not causing it," Beshear said, calling on the Agriculture Department and the state's congressional delegation to take action. The governor's office noted that children's SNAP eligibility is tied to other meal programs, including free and reduced-price school lunches and summer electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, so affected children face hunger in multiple areas, not just at home.
The governor's office said the letters were sent after Gov. Beshear and First Lady Britainy Beshear joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Frankfort earlier in the week to help unload a 34,000-pound food donation that will be distributed through Feeding Kentucky, a nonprofit serving all 120 counties in the state. GSM reported on October 12 on the distribution of that food donation in Kentucky.
State figures show 286,921 Kentucky households currently receive SNAP, reaching just under 547,000 people, down from 627,164 recipients in October 2025, with participating households receiving an average of $346 a month. The changes stem from the federal budget law passed in 2025: beginning last November, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, former foster youth and adults ages 54 to 64 lost their exemptions from SNAP work-reporting requirements.
Source: Office of the Governor of Kentucky press release, October 14, 2026. All figures and characterizations above are those of the governor's office.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于法兰克福的肯塔基州议会大厦（资料图，2024年1月摄）。摄影：TheLexingtonTimes，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
