House Republicans’ Bill Targets SNAP Amid Medicaid Cut Debates
While discussions surrounding the House Republicans’ reconciliation bill have largely centered on Medicaid reductions, another significant focus is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest initiative against hunger.
SNAP plays a crucial role in assisting low-income families in purchasing food, funded federally and managed at the state level. Currently, around 41 million Americans benefit from this program.
The Republican proposal aims to cut $300 billion from SNAP. This would be achieved by requiring states to shoulder more of the financial burden and enforcing stricter work mandates.
In a statement, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) expressed concern, stating, “Instead of working with Democrats to lower costs from President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs, House Republicans have decided to pull the rug out from under families by cutting the SNAP benefits. This means more seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and children will go to bed hungry.”
The proposed SNAP budget cuts would help fund an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which mainly benefited affluent individuals and large corporations.
Under the new proposal, states would be required to cover 5% of their SNAP benefits, including additional administrative expenses. For 28 states, this translates to assuming 25% of the costs currently funded by the federal government. This shift could lead some states to tighten SNAP eligibility criteria or reduce spending on other public services due to budget constraints.
Elaine Waxman, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, told the Washington Post, “States will do different things depending on their positioning, but I don’t see any scenario where they’re able to avoid significantly cutting SNAP.”
Reductions in SNAP funding could also negatively impact farmers, as a significant portion of their revenue comes from SNAP purchases. Additionally, SNAP benefits can be used at farmers’ markets, supporting smaller farms and local economies.
This is not the first time President Donald Trump has targeted SNAP. During his first term, able-bodied SNAP recipients were required to work 20 hours a week for three months over a 36-month period. States were initially allowed to create exceptions for high-unemployment areas, but in 2019, the White House prohibited such exemptions, leading to nearly 700,000 people losing benefits.
States with the highest SNAP participation, including Louisiana, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, supported Trump in the 2024 election.
The post It’s not just Medicaid—House Republicans want to cut food stamps too appeared first on American Journal News.
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