White House FY2026 Budget Request Includes Sparse Details on 'MAHA' Food Safety
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On May 2, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent a discretionary budget request for fiscal year 2026 (FY2026) from the Trump Administration to Congress. The budget request reduces non-defense discretionary spending by $163 billion, or 23 percent from the 2025 enacted level. The budget request heavily trims social programs and federal agency funding and is, according to the release, "the lowest non-defense spending level since 2017."
Regarding food safety and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr.'s "Make American Healthy Again" (MAHA) agenda, the Budget request funds to build up the MAHA Commission. The request states:
"The Budget provides resources to the Department of Health and Human Services that would allow the Secretary to tackle issues related to nutrition, physical activity, healthy lifestyles, over-reliance on medication and treatments, the effects of new technological habits, environmental impacts, and food and drug quality and safety. The Budget also supports the creation of MAHA food boxes, that would be filled with commodities sourced from domestic farmers and given directly to American households. The Budget includes resources to ensure food safety nationwide, including support for increased production and demand for services."
Additional details on funding and resources for food safety assurance and programs were not provided. The "MAHA food boxes" to be sent to American households would reportedly replace the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), which supports low-income seniors.
The White House's full press release on OBM's FY2026 budget request can be viewed here.
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