In Case You Missed It . . .

This week at CBPP, we focused on the federal budget, health, and food assistance.

• On the federal budget, Sam Berger and Devin O’Connor warned the Trump Administration’s creation of a $1.776 billion politically directed slush fund — sidestepping Congress and the courts —flagrantly disregards the law to serve President Trump’s personal ends at taxpayers’ expense.
• On health, Farah Erzouki released a timeline outlining key dates as states implement the 2025 Republican megabill’s changes to Medicaid eligibility, including the Medicaid work requirement that will take away coverage from millions of people. Nicole Rapfogel and Jennifer Sullivan stressed that a new Affordable Care Act marketplace rule weakens financial protections for enrollees and pushes them towards lower-quality coverage and higher out-of-pocket costs.
• On food assistance, Luis Nuñez highlighted a sharp drop in the number of children receiving SNAP food assistance as states implement last summer’s Republican megabill. Zoë Neuberger and Luis Nuñez updated a paper showing a trend of greater coordination between WIC state agencies and their state Medicaid and SNAP programs, allowing more eligible low-income families with young children to participate in WIC.

Chart of the Week — How States Will Implement H.R. 1’s Medicaid Policies, Including Those Taking Coverage Away for Not Meeting Work Requirements

The Center was active on social media this week:

• Katie Bergh posted a thread to X and Bluesky on provisions of the Republican megabill that have led to a decline in the number of children receiving food assistance through SNAP.

A variety of news outlets featured CBPP’s work and experts recently. Here are some highlights:

Thousands of Kansas children lose food aid, and school lunch could be next. See why
Kansas City Star
May 29, 2026

The Republican assault on Obamacare has created a healthcare bloodbath, with worse yet to come
Los Angeles Times
May 28, 2026

SNAP participation down since July 2025, study shows
Agri-Pulse
May 27, 2026

Valley business owner, expert economist weigh in on rising grocery prices
WHSV
May 27, 2026

Trump’s Swift Deregulation Strategy Falls Flat With Agencies
Bloomberg Law
May 26, 2026

White House claims about food stamps suffer from a dramatic and consequential flaw
MSNOW
May 26, 2026

SNAP cuts to significantly impact poor community, children says El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Interim President
KVIA
May 25, 2026

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