Republicans Consider Shifting Cost Of Food Benefits To States, With Cuts Likely

The proposal would impose significant costs on state budgets — unless states kick people off benefits.

WASHINGTON — Republicans might ask states to share the cost of food benefits to help pay for tax cuts at the heart of President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, a move that would likely shrink the program and leave some households with less money for food.

Potential cuts to Medicaid have received the most attention in recent weeks, but Republican lawmakers are also considering a significant change to the basic structure of the program that helps more than 20 million households buy food each month.

The federal government fully pays for the $100 billion annual cost of benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, with states certifying eligibility and covering about half of the administrative costs.

Under the proposal Republicans are considering, in coming years, states would have to pick up a share of the cost of benefits — potentially 10% to 15% at first – or else shrink enrollment to avoid having to pick up the tab.

House Agriculture Committee chair Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), whose panel oversees SNAP, insisted there would be “no cuts to benefits” but told HuffPost the idea of shunting costs to states is under serious discussion. He acknowledged it could create problems for states.