Dear {{first_name}},

On Thursday, August 6 2026, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee held its business meeting on the Agricultural Act of 2026. The committee did not advance the bill, recording a recorded vote of 10‑11 (tally) against moving it to the full Senate 【Senate Agriculture Committee Holds Farm Bill Markup, Remains in Committee | National Association of Counties】(https://www.naco.org/news/senate-agriculture-committee-holds-farm-bill-markup-remains-committee)【Business Meeting | Senate Committee On Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry】(https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/hearings/business-meeting-08-06-2026).---

Why This Matters for Feeding America

SNAP funding uncertainty – The bill’s proposed SNAP cost‑sharing changes would delay benefit expansions, potentially affecting up to 10 million households 【Legis1 SNAP revisions article】(https://legis1.com/news/farm-bill-snap-revisions-senate-agriculture).- Early demand signals – Food‑bank partners in New Mexico have already reported a sharp rise in client volume after the federal aid reductions tied to the bill 【New Mexico food banks describe significant increase in demand after federal food aid cuts】(https://sourcenm.com/2026/08/12/new-mexico-food-banks-describe-significant-increase-in-demand-after-federal-food-aid-cuts).- Legislative impasse – The House passed its version of the farm bill on April 30 2026 (224‑200) 【House passes 2026 farm bill | National Association of Counties】(https://www.naco.org/news/house-passes-2026-farm-bill),but the Senate’s failure creates a policy gap that could erode SNAP benefits before a new agreement is reached.

Unverified claim: Exact downstream impact on each Feeding America partner network has not been quantified in the sources provided.

Activate advocacy surge – Mobilize your Washington team to brief key senators on the real‑world SNAP demand spikes reported in New Mexico and other states.
Scenario planning – Model a 10 % increase in SNAP‑linked food‑bank demand for the next 6‑12 months (this projection is an internal estimate, not sourced).
Communications push – Publish a rapid‑response brief for donors highlighting the policy setback and the urgent need for supplemental charitable funding.
Partner outreach – Convene regional food‑bank leaders to share best practices for handling sudden intake surges.

Bipartisan support for a revised SNAP provision that restores the delayed expansions.
Federal supplemental funding earmarked for emergency food‑bank operations during the legislative lull.
Maintained or increased donor contributions in response to clear, data‑driven messaging.

Next Steps

Please let us know your availability for a briefing call this week so we can align our advocacy strategy and finalize the demand‑forecast model.

Sources