Wylecia Wiggs Harris, PHD, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, issued the following statement in response to the President’s signing of the reconciliation bill on July 4.
“The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is discouraged by President Trump’s signing of the reconciliation bill, which enacts sweeping cuts to federal nutrition and public health programs that millions of Americans rely on for nutrition and food security.
Changes to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will disrupt the direct certification process for school meals, putting millions of children at greater risk of hunger. The elimination of funding for the Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program (SNAP-Ed) after 2025 disregards decades of success in helping families eat balanced meals on a budget, improve overall health and reduce chronic disease.
There is overwhelming evidence that demonstrates these legislative and budgetary actions will have harmful consequences to public health and none of these actions gets us closer to improving the health and nutrition security of Americans, which the Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture share as common goals. On June 13, we sent a letter with 19 other organizations to Congressional appropriators urging the immediate protection of these programs.
We are deeply grateful to our community, partners and advocates who raised their voices and took action. Together, over 35,000 action alert letters were sent to Congress and we generated more than 5,500 social media engagements in support of protecting nutrition and food security. Your dedication and commitment made a measurable difference.
While we oppose the harmful cuts enacted through this legislation, the Academy remains committed to working with Congress and the Administration to restore vital nutrition programs and address the challenges these cuts create. We believe solutions are possible, and we are ready to help shape a path forward that increases nutrition security and ensures all Americans have access to the nutrition programs they need.”
