The 'Big Beautiful Bill' slashes food stamps. One map shows how much red states depend on them.
The spending plan outlines future funding for a slew of federal programs and was signed by the president on Friday, after passing both the House and Senate with overwhelming GOP support. The budget will slash nearly $200 billion from federal nutrition aid like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — which nearly 42 million Americans rely on to afford food — over the next decade.
The most significant policy adjustment will require nondisabled adults without dependents to fulfill work requirements until they reach age 64 to qualify for aid, up from the current cutoff age of 54. The CBO estimated that over 2 million Americans could lose SNAP coverage due to this change.
Some Republicans have defended the legislation, saying that it supports Trump's goal of reducing waste in government spending. It's unclear whether the budget cuts would reduce households' monthly grocery benefits.Still, advocates for the program say less funding and stricter work requirements, alongside high grocery prices, will make it more difficult for millions of families to put meals on the table.
In a July 4 statement, US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, "While expanding programs to support the farmers who feed, fuel, and clothe America, this legislation also tackles the fraud and waste that has run rampant in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bill holds states accountable for their error rates, strengthens work requirements, and prevents illegal aliens from receiving SNAP."
Undocumented immigrants have long been ineligible for SNAP and other safety net programs, and newly-naturalized citizens must wait five years before they qualify for aid. In 2024, the national SNAP error rate (including both over and underpayments) was 10.9%. States with error rates over 6% by 2028 will have to begin paying toward federal SNAP costs under the new budget.
A White House deputy press secretary, Anna Kelly, previously told Business Insider: "President Trump and Republicans are strengthening SNAP so it can be sustainable for generations to come." She added that the spending plan will prevent "waste and exploitation," encourage states to share nutrition program costs with the federal government, and "restore commonsense Clinton-era work requirements."
Republican states could feel the brunt of SNAP cuts
Scaling back SNAP could have real consequences for low-income households. While the money can't be used to buy household goods, it can be a parachute for families who need support affording produce, protein, and other grocery essentials. Monthly SNAP amounts can range from less than $25 to over $1,000, depending on a household's income and number of members.
"We still have birthdays to celebrate," Judith Murray, a parent who receives $1,174 in monthly SNAP for her seven-person family, previously told BI. "We still have Thanksgiving to do and other holidays. When you see me out there buying a birthday cake with my SNAP benefit card, just try to understand that I don't want to let my little ones down any more than you do."
According to data collected by the US Department of Agriculture, about 12% Americans were receiving SNAP benefits as of March 2025. In several states that voted for Trump and Republican representatives — such as Louisiana, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Alabama — that enrollment figure rises up to nearly 18% of the state's population.
This comes as Americans' overall reliance on government aid has been increasing. A 2024 report from the Economic Innovation Group, which analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics data, said funds from programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and Social Security accounted for about 18% of total personal income in the US in 2022, a 9-percentage-point increase from 1970.
Of course, regional economic disparities aren't new, and they don't fall neatly along political lines. Some predominantly Democratic-voting states like Oregon and New Mexico have above-average rates of SNAP enrollment. Food insecurity also isn't an isolated issue:States with high government aid use tend to have higher poverty rates, higher unemployment, and more limited healthcare access. Many of these financial disparities are long-standing and have a more severe impact on people of color and other marginalized communities.
SNAP also isn't a perfect system. Americans with low income have told BI that they lean on other resources, including food banks, because their SNAP allocation isn't enough to pay their grocery bills. Others limit their work hours to ensure their income doesn't exceed the program's qualification threshold — which is about $15,000 annually for a single person but varies slightly by state.
As the "Big Beautiful Bill" becomes law, government data shows that Republicans' constituents would feel the brunt of any SNAP changes more than other political parties. A group of eight GOP representatives led by Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas wrote a letter to Johnson in February urging the party leader to advocate for "programs that support working-class Americans."
"While we fully support efforts to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse, we must ensure that assistance programs — such as SNAP — remain protected," they wrote.
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Hamilton Spectator
9 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Trump announces 30% tariffs against EU, Mexico to begin Aug. 1
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'Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough,' Trump added. Trump in his letter to the European Union said that the U.S. trade deficit was a national security threat. 'We have had years to discuss our Trading Relationship with The European Union, and we have concluded we must move away from these long-term, large, and persistent, Trade Deficits, engendered by your Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies, and Trade Barriers,' Trump wrote in the letter to the EU. 'Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.' EU and Mexico respond European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded by noting the bloc's 'commitment to dialogue, stability, and a constructive transatlantic partnership.' 'At the same time, we will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required,' von der Leyen said in a statement. 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Trump on April 2 proposed a 20% tariff for EU goods and then threatened to raise that to 50% after negotiations did not move as fast as he would have liked. Sefcovic did not mention any tariff figures. The higher tariffs as well as any EU retaliation had been suspended as the two sides negotiate. However the base rate of 10% for most trade partners as well as higher rates of 25% on autos and 50% on steel and aluminum had gone into effect. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former Congressional Budget Office director and president of the center-right American Action Forum, said the letters were evidence that serious trade talks were not taking place over the past three months. He stressed that nations were instead talking amongst themselves about how to minimize their own exposure to the U.S. economy and Trump. 'They're spending time talking to each other about what the future is going to look like, and we're left out,' Holtz-Eakin said. 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'At this point, our fate and that of hundreds of thousands of jobs are tied to the extra time, which will be crucial, because it is unthinkable to be able to sell these volumes of wine elsewhere in the short term.' Trump has complained about the EU's 198 billion-euro trade surplus in goods, which shows Americans buy more goods from European businesses than the other way around. However, American companies fill some of the gap by outselling the EU when it comes to services such as cloud computing, travel bookings, and legal and financial services. The U.S. services surplus took the nation's trade deficit with the EU down to 50 billion euros ($59 billion), which represents less than 3% of overall U.S.-EU trade. Before Trump returned to office, the U.S. and the EU maintained a generally cooperative trade relationship and low tariff levels on both sides. The U.S. rate averaged 1.47% for European goods, while the EU's averaged 1.35% for American products. — AP writers Josh Boak in Washington, Angela Charlton in Paris, Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, Dave McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed reporting. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
News24
17 minutes ago
- News24
How Trump's trade war is upending the global economy
US President Donald Trump's tariff decisions since he took office on 20 January have shocked financial markets and sent a wave of uncertainty through the global economy. Here is a timeline of the major developments: 1 February - Trump imposes 25% tariffs on Mexican and most Canadian imports and 10% on goods from China, demanding they curb the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants into the United States. 3 February - Trump suspends his threat of tariffs on Mexico and Canada, agreeing to a 30-day pause in return for concessions on border and crime enforcement. The US has not reached such a deal with China. 7 February - Trump delays tariffs on de minimis, or low-cost, packages from China until the Commerce Department can confirm that procedures and systems are in place to process them and collect tariff revenue. 10 February - Trump raises tariffs on steel and aluminium to a flat 25% 'without exceptions or exemptions'. 3 March - Trump says 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada will take effect from March 4 and doubles fentanyl-related tariffs on all Chinese imports to 20%. 5 March - He agrees to delay tariffs for one month on some vehicles built in Canada and Mexico after a call with the CEOs of General Motors and Ford and the chair of Stellantis. 6 March - Trump exempts goods from Canada and Mexico under a North American trade pact for a month from the 25% tariffs. 26 March - Trump unveils a 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks. 2 April - He announces global tariffs with a baseline of 10% across all imports and significantly higher duties on some of the United States' biggest trading partners. 9 April - Trump pauses for 90 days most of his country-specific tariffs that kicked in less than 24 hours earlier, following an upheaval in financial markets that erased trillions of dollars from bourses around the world. 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Los Angeles Times
21 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Trump announces 30% tariffs against EU, Mexico to begin August 1
BRIDGEWATER, New Jersey — President Donald Trump on Saturday announced he's levying tariffs of 30% against the European Union and Mexico starting August 1. Trump announced the planned tariffs on two of the United States' biggest trade partners in letters posted to his social media account. They are part of an announcement blitz by Trump of new tariffs with allies and foes alike, a bedrock of his 2024 campaign that he said would set the foundation for reviving a U.S. economy that he claims has been ripped off by other nations for decades. In his letter to Mexico's leader, Trump acknowledged that the country has been helpful in stemming the flow of undocumented migrants and fentanyl into the United States. But he said the country has not done enough to stop North America from turning into a 'Narco-Trafficking Playground.' 'Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough,' Trump added. Trump in his letter to the European Union said that the U.S. trade deficit was a national security threat. 'We have had years to discuss our Trading Relationship with The European Union, and we have concluded we must move away from these long-term, large, and persistent, Trade Deficits, engendered by your Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies, and Trade Barriers,' Trump wrote in the letter to the EU. 'Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.' European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded by noting the bloc's 'commitment to dialogue, stability, and a constructive transatlantic partnership.' 'At the same time, we will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required,' von der Leyen said in a statement. Trump, as he has in previous letters, warned that his administration would further raise tariffs if the EU attempts to hike its own tariffs on the United States. With the reciprocal tariffs, Trump is dismissing the rules governing world trade. For decades, the United States and most other countries abided by tariff rates set through a series of complex negotiations known as the Uruguay round. Countries could set their own tariffs – but under the 'most favored nation'' approach, they couldn't charge one country more than they charged another. The Italian government said on Saturday it continues to 'closely monitor' the ongoing trade negotiations between the European Union and the United States, fully supporting the EU Commission's efforts. 'We trust in the goodwill of all stakeholders to reach a fair agreement that can strengthen the West as a whole, given that—particularly in the current scenario—it would make no sense to trigger a trade war between the two sides of the Atlantic,' Premier Giorgia Meloni's office said in a statement. The Mexico tariff, if it goes into effect, could replace the 25% tariffs on Mexican goods that do not comply with the existing U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement. Trump's letter did not address if goods that comply with the trade agreement would still be exempt from the Mexico tariffs after Aug. 1, as the White House said would be the case with Canada. Trump sent a letter to Canada earlier this week threatening a 35% tariff hike. With Saturday's letters, Trump has now issued tariff conditions on 24 countries and the 27-member European Union. The European Union's chief trade negotiator said earlier this week that a trade deal to avert higher tariffs on European goods imported to the U.S. could be reached 'even in the coming days.' Maroš Šefčovič told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France on Wednesday that the EU had been spared the increased tariffs contained in the letters Trump sent on Monday, and that an extension of talks would provide 'additional space to reach a satisfactory conclusion.' The bloc collectively sells more to the U.S. than any other country. U.S. imports from the EU topped $553 billion in 2022, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Trump on April 2 proposed a 20% tariff for EU goods and then threatened to raise that to 50% after negotiations did not move as fast as he would have liked. The higher tariffs as well as any EU retaliation had been suspended as the two sides negotiate. However the base rate of 10% for most trade partners as well as higher rates of 25% on autos and 50% on steel and aluminum had gone into effect. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former Congressional Budget Office director and president of the center-right American Action Forum, said the letters were evidence that serious trade talks were not taking place over the past three months. He stressed that nations were instead talking amongst themselves about how to minimize their own exposure to the U.S. economy and Trump. 'They're spending time talking to each other about what the future is going to look like, and we're left out,' Holtz-Eakin said. He added that Trump was using the letters to demand attention, but, 'In the end, these are letters to other countries about taxes he's going to levy on his citizens.' If the tariffs do indeed take effect, the potential impact on Europe could be vast. The value of EU-U.S. trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in 2024, or an average of 4.6 billion euros a day, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat Europe's biggest exports to the U.S. were pharmaceuticals, cars, aircraft, chemicals, medical instruments and wine and spirits. Trump has complained about the EU's 198 billion-euro trade surplus in goods, which shows Americans buy more goods from European businesses than the other way around. However, American companies fill some of the gap by outselling the EU when it comes to services such as cloud computing, travel bookings, and legal and financial services. Before Trump returned to office, the U.S. and the EU maintained a generally cooperative trade relationship and low tariff levels on both sides. The U.S. rate averaged 1.47% for European goods, while the EU's averaged 1.35% for American products. AP writers Josh Boak in Washington, Angela Charlton in Paris and Dave McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed reporting. Madhani writes for the Associated Press.
