By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republicans could be planning big changes for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
Recent reports suggest one of the latest GOP budget proposals seeks to require states to pay a larger share for the nation’s food assistance program.
This week on Capitol Hill, Democrats are sounding the alarm over what they call Republican cuts to vital services in order to pave the way for President Trump’s legislative agenda.
“House Republicans are determined to jam a reckless and extreme budget down the throats of the American people that will enact the largest cut to Medicaid and the largest cut to SNAP in American history,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY.). “These proposed cuts to Medicaid and SNAP are unacceptable. Unconscious, evil and un-American.”
The so-called “mega bill” is expected to help fund Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, border security, and other campaign priorities such as eliminating taxes on tips, taxes on overtime and Social Security payments.
To help pay for a fraction of those priorities, the Republican budget resolution directs several Congressional committees to find hundreds of billions in savings. The House Agriculture Committee is tasked with finding $230 billion in savings — a move some warn will likely result in deep cuts to SNAP.
“It’s just mathematically impossible to cut SNAP by $230 billion without harming lots of low-income people. That would be more than a 20% cut to SNAP and the single largest cut to food assistance in history,” said Katie Bergh, senior policy analyst for food assistance at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “There are very limited options House Republicans can use to make cuts of that magnitude. They really only have some combination of two options: They can cut the amount people receive in food benefits, which currently averages about $6.20 per person per day. Or they can cut people off the program entirely.”
One proposal reportedly under discussion to meet the savings target would require states to cover as much as 22.5% of SNAP benefit costs over the next decade.
Currently, states pay for roughly half the cost of administering SNAP, but Bergh noted the food benefits themselves are 100% federally funded. She said shifting that burden to states could leave them with difficult decisions.
“They can raise revenue — also taxes, fees. They can cut other state-funded programs and services that people rely on, or they can cut the food assistance low-income families need,” said Bergh. “Proposals to impose a portion of food benefit costs on states is not just a matter of trading a federal dollar for a state one. It’s really an unfunded mandate that would very likely lead to deep cuts.”
Whether it’s SNAP or Medicaid, Republicans argue that government spending is out of control and must be brought back in check — while preserving access for those most in need.
“The emergency’s over — COVID is over. And we’ve got to stop spending like we have an endless supply of money,” said Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY.). “We’re looking for savings for the federal taxpayer. We have $37 trillion in national debt. We have to throw the brakes on at some point.”
Although Congressman Langworthy does not sit on the House Agriculture Committee, which is tasked with SNAP funding and a $230 billion savings target, he does sit on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. His committee is currently working toward its own $880 billion, 10-year savings target, which could impact Medicaid.
Langworthy emphasized that reforms must preserve key programs while cutting government waste.
“There is massive bloat in the federal government. These programs need to be preserved for the people who need them the most,” said Langworthy. “And the problem with coming out of four years of Joe Biden, the biggest spending president we’ve ever seen, is there were no guardrails in place. There were emergency pots of money just tacked onto statutory programs.”
The office of House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.) did not respond to an interview request on the committee’s plans for SNAP.
