USDA cuts $1B Biden-era food program for schools, food banks
The Trump administration is ending a $1 billion program that allowed food banks and schools to purchase food from local farmers, the Agriculture Department confirmed to ABC News Tuesday.
The local food programs were created by President Joe Biden as a way to support local farmers and ranchers while also feeding families hit economically during the pandemic.

The money continued long after the pandemic ended though, as anti-poverty advocates warned that low-income families in particular continued to struggle with inflation and other lingering impacts from the pandemic.
In a written statement, the agency defended the move as "marking a return to long-term fiscally responsible initiatives." The agency noted some 16 nutrition programs remain in place.
"The COVID era is over—USDA’s approach to nutrition programs will reflect that reality moving forward," the agency wrote.
-ABC News' Anne Flaherty





