House Republicans have introduced a bill aimed at significant changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as part of President Donald Trump’s broader legislative agenda.
The House Agriculture Committee has put forth a measure that mandates states to contribute to the SNAP program, restricts eligibility criteria for benefits, and prevents the federal government from raising monthly benefits in the future.
A committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, where they intend to advance the proposal.
As part of a budget resolution passed by Republicans, the House Agriculture Committee is tasked with identifying at least $230 billion in spending reductions.
The committee claims its goal is to return the program to its “original intent” and to encourage “work, not welfare,” which they assert will conserve taxpayer dollars and reinvest in American agriculture.
Additionally, there are provisions to adjust benefit expenses by 5% for fiscal year 2028 based on the error rate in payments. If the error rate reaches 6% or more, states could see allocations increase from 15% to 25%.
Democrats have voiced strong criticism against the proposal, contending it could result in states reducing their own benefits.
The bill forbids the Department of Agriculture from raising the costs of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which the government uses to calculate benefit amounts based on reassessments or other methods.
Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for using the 2021 TFP reassessment to boost SNAP benefits by 21%.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) expressed concern that the Republican initiative could jeopardize her efforts to secure a bipartisan farm bill by the end of the year.
She stated, “Rather than collaborating with Democrats to reduce costs associated with President Trump’s tariffs, House Republicans have counteracted that by diminishing SNAP benefits, which support 42 million Americans.”
“This will lead to more hunger among seniors, veterans, disabled individuals, and children. Farmers, already on tight margins, will suffer billions in losses, resulting in unemployment and wage reductions across the food supply chain,” she added.
