One of the benefit programs that helps over 40 million Americans may undergo a change that has an indirect impact on their finances. Following a Republican proposal, the SNAP benefit program’s budget may change, which will undoubtedly have an impact on families looking for food in the marketplace.
SNAP benefit cuts for more than 40 million Americans
Republicans and President Donald Trump’s administration are seeking approval to reduce spending in order to extend the TCJA, which would increase spending by $4.5 trillion. According to his budget resolution, $2 trillion in mandatory spending (SNAP and Medicaid) must be cut.
Several committees receive specific reductions, including $230 billion for agriculture, $330 billion for education and workforce, $880 billion for energy and commerce, and $50 billion for oversight.
It is important to note that they are targeting not only the SNAP program, but also health benefit programs. The Agriculture, Energy, and Commerce Committees would all be affected by the cuts. It is unclear how they will affect government nutritional benefits.
The resolution does not directly affect SNAP, but it may allow for significant changes. If Republicans succeed in extending the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, they will most likely have to reduce funding for SNAP, Medicaid, and other social services to cover the additional $4.5 trillion in spending.
To compensate for the decrease in federal assistance, states will have to raise taxes or reduce services even further.
According to Michael Ryan, a financial expert on the issue that affects millions of families, this will have an impact on rural and economically disadvantaged communities, where these programs are critical to promoting both local economies and individual well-being.
These are the new plans for the SNAP benefit reform under Trump’s Administration
This week, Kailee Buller, President Trump’s newly appointed chief of staff, announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will correct Joe Biden’s financial mismanagement of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Buller claimed that officials at former USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack “put politics over commonsense” and “compromised the integrity” of SNAP in response to the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) investigation into Vilsack’s management of the program.
She also stated that the Trump administration will take immediate action to correct this heinous behavior and ensure that similar major vulnerabilities do not arise in the future. Her statement comes after the House Republicans unveiled their budget resolution, which includes significant cuts to SNAP benefits.
Newsweek emailed the USDA press team on Thursday morning for comment. According to the most recent data released by the department, SNAP is America’s largest nutrition assistance program, accounting for roughly 68%, or two-thirds, of USDA nutrition assistance spending in fiscal year 2023.
It provides monthly food subsidies to low- and no-income families, allowing them to spend more money on groceries and eat healthier. According to the USDA, 42.1 million Americans received SNAP benefits on average each month during fiscal year 2023.
While the percentage of U.S. residents receiving the benefits varies by state, the highest percentages in 2023 were in Oregon, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Illinois, West Virginia, and Washington, DC.
Children under the age of five (11.6 percent) and those aged five to seventeen (28 percent) accounted for roughly 40% of beneficiaries in 2022. Millions of people may be affected by program cuts that are expected to be implemented under the Trump administration.
What should Americans know about the SNAP benefit cuts?
Buller accused Vilsack and former Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean of endangering the “integrity” of the SNAP program in a news release issued on Wednesday. Stacy added that Secretary Vilsack and Deputy Under-Secretary Stacy Dean disregarded dozens of USDA financial analysts and policy experts, putting politics ahead of common sense.
Vilsack and Dean harmed public trust, jeopardized USDA financial stability, and undermined SNAP’s integrity by following a memo from the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
