Sen. Michael Bennet holds virtual roundtable for 'Republican Dangers to SNAP'
WESTERN SLOPE, Colo. (KREX) – Lately, there has been speculation from the federal level that there will be funds cut from SNAP benefits.
On Thursday, Senator Michael Bennet held a virtual roundtable to discuss the quote 'Republican Dangers to SNAP.'
Bennet states, 'I hope for the smaller cut; it would be better, you know, if we had to take one and not the other.'
Communities around Colorado are on their toes regarding the outcome of possible SNAP benefit cuts.
The virtual roundtable included community members around the Centennial State alongside Senator Bennet.
'As I said earlier, [SNAP] is going to be on the receiving end of this unfunded mandate,' Bennet said.
Bennet says the president passed the bill, which will need 51 Senate votes to pass in the Senate before being finalized.
'I don't know what the choices that he's going to be able to assemble to get that majority vote are, but I will keep everybody on this call informed as I begin to hear what's going on,' Bennet said.
WesternSlopeNow reached out to the Mesa County Department of Human Services, and the Economic Assistance Director, Melissa Schierland, sent a statement saying, 'This is pending federal legislation, and no changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have been finalized. We are closely monitoring the situation. If the program changes, we will communicate directly with our clients to ensure they receive clear guidance and support. Our priority remains helping families meet their basic needs and access the resources they rely on.'
State Senator Janice Rich of District 7 states, 'I think that it has been a successful program, and I guess I would hate to see it be cut, you know, a lot, because over the years, it has lifted over 70,000 people out of the poverty line.'
State Senator Rich says it's been reported that 9.9% of people use the SNAP program in the state.
Meanwhile, WesternSlopeNow reached out to the Colorado Department of Human Services about how these cuts could affect the rest of the state.
A representative sent us a statement saying in part, 'As of March 2025, approximately 334,000 Colorado households and 617,000 people receive monthly benefits. In 2024, almost one million individual Coloradans received SNAP, half of whom were children, 10% of whom were older Americans, and 15% of whom were Americans with disabilities. Minimizing food insecurity has positive impacts, including increased physical and mental health.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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