State Budget Office: GOP bill would strain budget, threaten residents' benefits
5 ways the 'big, beautiful bill' could impact Americans
According to the State Budget Office, the bill could cost Michigan $900 million and and threaten benefits for many Michigan residents if it becomes law. Data from last year shows nearly 1.5 million Michigan residents, or 15% of the population, received SNAP benefits.
While the federal government currently covers the cost of SNAP benefits, the state says the bill would require a new state share of benefit cost, which could cost Michigan up to $800 million annually. The state would also have to pay a higher share of administration costs, which would cost Michigan about $90 million each year, according to the budget office.
The office says the proposed changes would 'place a significant burden on Michigan's budget.'
'It is unlikely that the state could backfill these federal cuts without severely impacting other programs including education, public safety, and Medicaid,' the State Budget Office wrote in a memo.
SNAP changes proposed in GOP's 'big, beautiful bill.' Here's what to know
'No one should go to bed hungry in Michigan or anywhere in the wealthiest, most powerful country in the world,' said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a statement. 'We will fight to make sure our kids and families are fed, but we need Republicans in our congressional delegation to step up for their own constituents who need SNAP and Medicaid to survive. If these cuts are signed into law, more Michiganders will go to bed with a pit in their stomach. That's unacceptable.'
More than 59% of SNAP benefit recipients are families with children, according to the state, and 39% have family members who are older adults or are disabled. About 41,000 are veterans, which is about 10% of the state's total veteran population, according to the governor's office.
Data from the state says 67% of SNAP recipients are also covered by Medicaid.
'The legislation being moved through Congress could threaten both the health care and food access of nearly 950,000 Michiganders,' the governor's office wrote in a release.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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