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Fox News
4 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
21 Democrats who may try to succeed Trump in the 2028 presidential election
It has been just over four months since President Donald Trump returned to power in the White House, and the very early moves in the 2028 presidential race are already underway by some Democrats with likely national ambitions. This upcoming weekend, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was the Democrats' 2024 vice presidential nominee, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who says he is not laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential run, will make separate appearances in South Carolina, the state the Democratic National Committee anointed to hold the lead-off primary in their 2024 nominating calendar. Two weeks later, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who ran for the White House in 2020, will headline a major Democratic state party dinner in New Hampshire, which for a century has held the first presidential primary. Two weeks ago, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who later served as Transportation secretary in former President Joe Biden's administration, headlined a town hall with veterans and military families in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Iowa's caucuses for half a century kicked off both major political parties' presidential nominating calendars until the DNC demoted the Hawkeye State on their 2024 schedule. Another potential contender, two-term Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, late last month, gave the keynote address at a major state party fundraising gala in New Hampshire. Also making noise is two-term Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who said recently he would consider running for president if he felt he could successfully unite the country. Additionally, progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York grabbed plenty of attention the past couple of months, co-headlining a slew of large rallies across the country with longtime progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, which sparked plenty of 2028 speculation. The Democratic Party has been in the political wilderness since last November's election setbacks, when Republicans won back control of the White House and the Senate and defended their fragile House majority. Republicans additionally made gains among Black and Hispanic voters as well as younger voters, all traditional members of the Democratic Party's base. Since Trump's return to power, an increasingly angry and energized base of Democrats has been pushing for party leaders to take a stronger stand in pushing back against the president's sweeping and controversial agenda during the opening months of his second administration. Democrats are not only looking ahead to next year's midterms, when they hope to make ballot box gains, but also to the next presidential race. "There was a sense of hopelessness earlier this year among Democrats, as Trump came in with his wrecking ball, and it seemed like there was nothing but futile opposition to him," longtime Democratic strategist Chris Moyer told Fox News. "So thinking about a presidential race with potential candidates is a way to get some hope back and look towards a future that doesn't include Trump." Moyer, a veteran of a handful of Democratic presidential campaigns, said the race is "wide open, and it won't be long before we see clear maneuvering from a litany of candidates." The results of the 2026 midterm elections will have a major impact on the shape of the next White House race. For now, however, here are 20 Democrats considered potential presidential contenders to watch on the road to 2028. After lying low when the Biden administration came to a close, former Vice President Kamala Harris has picked up the political pace of late, including headlining a recent major DNC fundraiser in New York City, with another in San Francisco next week. Among her campaign options that she is weighing is a 2026 run for the open governor's seat in her home state of California and another bid in 2028 for the White House. A source in the former vice president's political orbit confirmed to Fox News Digital two months ago that Harris had told allies she would decide by the end of summer on whether to launch a 2026 gubernatorial campaign. Harris served as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general and represented the Golden State in the U.S. Senate before joining Biden's 2020 ticket and winning that election as vice president. Additionally, Harris would be considered the clear frontrunner for governor in heavily blue California in the race to succeed term-limited Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom. However, early polling in the 2028 Democratic nomination race indicates that Harris would be the frontrunner, thanks in part to her name recognition within her party. While there are plenty of voices within the party who would like to move on from the Biden/Harris era following Trump's sweeping victory, and there is little history of Democrats yearning for past defeated presidential nominees, Trump has re-written the rules when it comes to defeated White House contenders making another run. Potential buyers' remorse of a second Trump administration could boost the 60-year-old Harris in the years to come. The progressive "rock star" and best-known lawmaker among the so-called "Squad" of diverse House Democrats in October turned 35, the minimum age to run for president. Some Democrats argue that a riveting messenger with star power is needed as the party's next nominee, and Ocasio-Cortez is guaranteed to grab plenty of attention if she ultimately decides to run. There is also speculation the four-term federal lawmaker from New York City may primary challenge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York when he is up for re-election in 2028. California Gov. Gavin Newsom was a top surrogate for Biden during the president's re-election bid. With the blessing of the White House, the two-term California governor debated then-Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year on Fox News. Newsom's travels on behalf of Biden brought him to New Hampshire and South Carolina, two crucial early voting states on the Democratic Party's nominating calendar. After Harris, his friend and fellow Californian, replaced Biden atop the Democrats' 2024 ticket, the governor, after a pause, continued his efforts to keep Trump from returning to the White House. While Newsom and California's Democrat-dominated legislature took action to "Trump-proof" the Golden State, the governor has also worked with Trump on key matters, including January's wildfires that devastated parts of metropolitan Los Angeles. Newsom also appears to have moderated on some issues and invited well-known Trump allies Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon on his weekly podcast. The 57-year-old Newsom, who is term-limited, completes his duties in Sacramento at the end of next year, right around the time the 2028 presidential election will start to heat up. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has become a leading voice in the Democrats' opposition to Trump and has taken steps to Trump-proof his solidly blue state. "You come for my people, you come through me," Pritzker told reporters of his efforts to protect Illinois. Pritzker was also a high-profile surrogate on behalf of Biden and then Harris during the 2024 cycle. Those efforts brought Pritzker to Nevada, a general election battleground state and an early-voting Democratic presidential primary state, and New Hampshire. Additionally, the governor's recent trip to New Hampshire sparked more 2028 buzz. However, before he makes any decision about 2028, the 60-year-old governor must decide whether he will run in 2026 for a third term steering Illinois. Two-term Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer grabbed plenty of attention and became a Democratic Party rising star in 2020 when she feuded with Trump over COVID-19 federal assistance and survived a foiled kidnapping attempt. Trump, at the time, called her "that woman from Michigan." Along with Newsom and Pritzker, Whitmer's name was floated as a possible replacement for Biden following his disastrous debate performance against Trump in late June, before the president endorsed Harris, and the party instantly coalesced around the vice president. Whitmer was a leading surrogate for Biden and then for Harris and made a big impression on Democratic activists during a stop this summer in New Hampshire on behalf of Harris. However, Whitmer was criticized by some in her party for appearing to cozy up to Trump during a White House visit earlier this spring. The 53-year-old governor is term-limited and will leave office after the end of next year. Gov. Josh Shapiro, the 51-year-old first-term governor of Pennsylvania, was on Harris' short-list for vice presidential nominee. Even though the vice president named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Shapiro remained a top surrogate on behalf of his party's 2024 national ticket. However, his two-day swing in New Hampshire during the final full week ahead of Election Day did raise some eyebrows and 2028 speculation. After Harris lost battleground Pennsylvania to Trump, there was plenty of talk within the party that Harris had made the wrong choice for her running mate. Shapiro, who has a track record of taking on the first Trump administration as Pennsylvania attorney general, is expected to play a similar role with Trump back in the White House. The governor will be up for re-election in 2026. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is considered by many to be another Democratic Party rising star. The 46-year-old Army veteran, who is also a Rhodes Scholar and CEO of the charitable organization the Robin Hood Foundation during the coronavirus pandemic, was elected two years ago. Even though Moore said in a recent interview on "The View" that he is "not running" in 2028, speculation persists, fueled in part because of his upcoming stop in South Carolina. Moore will be up for re-election in 2026. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who surpassed expectations during his 2020 Democratic presidential nomination run, was a very active surrogate on behalf of Biden and later Harris, during the 2024 cycle. He helped raise a lot of money for the Democratic Party ticket, including heading a top-dollar fundraiser in New Hampshire. The 43-year-old former South Bend, Indiana, mayor and former naval officer who served in the war in Afghanistan, is considered one of the party's biggest and brightest stars. He was known as a top communicator for the administration, including making frequent appearances on Fox News. Fueling buzz about a potential 2028 presidential run, Buttigieg passed on a 2026 Senate bid in his adopted home state of Michigan and made a high-profile stop in Iowa earlier this month. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, 47, who was elected governor in 2019 and then re-elected in 2023 in red-state Kentucky, was on Harris' longer list for potential running mates. Beshear made plenty of new friends and contacts as he ventured to New Hampshire last year to headline the state Democratic Party's annual fall fundraising gala. He served as Kentucky's attorney general before running for governor. Beshear said in a recent interview with local station WDRB that "if you'd asked me a couple years ago if this is something I'd consider, I probably wouldn't have. But I don't want to leave a broken country to my kids. And so, if I'm somebody that can bring this nation together, hopefully find some common ground, it's something I'll consider." Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, 55, is a major player in Washington as the Democratic minority in the Senate fights back against the second Trump administration. Warnock, who won Senate elections in 2020 and 2022 in battleground Georgia, served as senior pastor at the famed Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Martin Luther King Jr. once preached. He is up for re-election to the Senate in 2028. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, is considered one of the party's most talented orators. Thanks to his 2020 run, Booker made plenty of friends and allies in such early states as New Hampshire and South Carolina. Booker made headlines earlier this year by delivering a record-breaking 25-hour and 5-minute marathon speech from the floor of the Senate. The speech protested the sweeping and controversial moves so far by Trump during his second administration, as well as the operations of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. The 56-year-old senator is up for re-election in 2026. Since the November election, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut has been very vocal about the steps Democrats need to take to win back working-class voters. First elected to the House in 2006 and later to the Senate in 2012, the 51-year-old Murphy cruised to re-election this year by nearly 20 points, which means he would not have to decide between a re-election bid and a White House run in 2028. Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 65, who once served as county attorney in Minnesota's most populous county, is now in her fourth term in the Senate. Klobuchar ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and came in a strong third in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary. The senator has not ruled out making another run for the White House in 2028. Rep. Ro Khanna, 48, was a tireless surrogate on behalf of Biden and then Harris. He has been a regular visitor to New Hampshire in the past couple of years, including a high-profile debate last year against then-GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Khanna has grabbed plenty of attention so far this year as he has held town halls in Republican-controlled congressional districts and targeted Vice President JD Vance with events in the vice president's home state of Ohio and at Yale Law School, where both politicians earned their legal degrees. The 57-year-old sports TV personality, sports radio host, sports journalist, and actor has generated a ton of buzz this year as he has mulled a White House run and has even grabbed Trump's attention. Another potential contender with plenty of star power is Mark Cuban. The 66-year-old billionaire business mogul and part-owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks was a high-profile surrogate for Harris during her presidential election campaign. Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, 67, who in January finished up his eighth and final year as governor, took his name out of the Harris running mate speculation early in the process last summer. Cooper served 16 years as North Carolina's attorney general before winning election as governor. The former governor is being heavily recruited by Democrats to try and flip a GOP-held Senate seat in North Carolina in next year's midterms. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, 65, is halfway through her second term steering New Mexico. The governor, a former member of Congress, was a high-profile and busy surrogate on behalf of Harris during the final weeks of the 2024 campaign. The 61-year-old Minnesota governor, who served as Harris' running mate, has two years remaining in his second term in office. While the vice presidential nominee's energy and enthusiasm on the campaign trail this year impressed plenty of Democratic strategists, the final results of the election will make any potential future national run for Tim Walz difficult. Walz has said he is not thinking of 2028, but he has been very busy so far this year heading events across the country, and an upcoming stop in South Carolina is fueling more White House buzz. The 65-year-old Rahm Emanuel, who served the past four years as ambassador to Japan during the Biden administration, has a jam-packed resume. Emanuel, a veteran of former President Bill Clinton's administration in the 1990s, went on to serve in Congress and steered the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during its very successful 2006 cycle. He later served as Obama's chief of staff before winning the 2011 election and 2015 re-election as Chicago mayor. Emanuel, who late last year mulled making a bid for Democratic National Committee chair, has seen his name floated in recent months as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender. The 54-year-old Gina Raimondo, a former two-term Rhode Island governor, made history as the first woman to steer the nation's smallest state. Raimondo, who served as Commerce secretary in Biden's cabinet, said "yes" when recently asked by veteran Democratic strategist David Axelrod if she was considering a 2028 White House run. Honorable Mentions: Two other names that also keep coming up in the Democrats 2028 conversation are Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey and Sen. Ruben Gallego of battleground Arizona.
CBS News
6 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Trump's trade war could have major impact on Minnesota's summer tourism
Hospitality and tourism are a vital part of Minnesota's economy, but there's fear tariffs will take a toll as the state heads into its busy season. Between now and Labor Day, hospitality and tourism typically bring in more than $24 billion to the state each year. A large portion of that impact comes from international travelers, but with an ongoing trade war, there's fear that could change. According to Explore Minnesota, more than 567,000 international tourists visited the state in 2023, spending a little over half a billion dollars. The agency was forecasting 700,000 international visitors this year, but that's looking less likely because Canadian tourism into the U.S. is down. More than half of Minnesota's international tourists are from Canada. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is concerned with this shift and met with Canada's prime minister recently in a bipartisan effort to change trends. "Our message to the Canadians is we love you, we want you to come to our country, we understand why you're pissed off, we're pissed off, too, and however we want to work this out," Klobuchar said. "We're going to continue to work on this and hope to come to an agreement in the next few weeks. Otherwise we're going to have a tough tourism season." Klobuchar added the state is seeing a 70% dropoff in canceled vacations, particularly in northern Minnesota. Border crossings from Canada are down 18%. The 25% tariff on Canadian goods remains in place, as does Canada's reciprocal tariff on the U.S.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Legislative roundup: Fetterman to re-introduce SMART Prices Act
May 25—WILKES-BARRE — U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pittsburgh, this week joined 26 of his colleagues to introduce the Strengthening Medicare and Reducing Taxpayer (SMART) Prices Act. The bill, led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), would expand Medicare's ability to negotiate lower drug prices for consumers, reduce federal spending, and give the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stronger tools to negotiate lower drug costs in Medicare Part B and Part D. Pennsylvania seniors fill more than 100 million prescriptions every year — this bill means they'll finally get a fair shake at the pharmacy counter. In addition, taxpayers will see serious savings. According to preliminary estimates from West Health and Verdant Research, if the SMART Prices Act were to be enacted in 2026, it would save 33% more by 2030 than current law. It would also allow Medicare to begin negotiations earlier and bring down the price of more expensive drugs. "No one should have to choose between medicine and groceries. Multi-billion-dollar drug corporations are making obscene profits off of seniors and working families struggling just to get by," Fetterman said. "The SMART Prices Act is not complicated: it will boost Medicare's ability to negotiate fair deals with pharmaceutical companies and bring drug prices down. Big Pharma lobbyists might hate it, but regular people sure as hell won't." This legislation builds on provision included in the Inflation Reduction Act that empowered Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time, unleashing the power of 53 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D Drug Coverage. The SMART Prices Act would extend this progress by more than doubling the number of prescription drugs Medicare must negotiate to a minimum of 50 per year, allowing the costliest prescription drugs and biologics to have negotiated prices five years after approval by the Food and Drug Administration, and by increasing the discount that Medicare is allowed to negotiate. DCED invests more than $22.6M to help schools Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger this week announced an investment of more than $22.6 million in 74 schools across Pennsylvania through the Solar for Schools Grant Program — which is administered by DCED and funded through the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA). Program grants will help schools to cover the purchase and installation of equipment, permit fees, energy storage, and utility interconnection. "Energy is one of the top expenses for schools, which is why investments in solar energy can help to maintain long-term financial stability and improve the quality of education they offer students," Siger said. "Those savings can then be channeled into more resources for our teachers and students, and also create good-paying clean-energy jobs and job training opportunities." School districts, intermediate units, area career and technical schools, charter schools, cyber charter schools, chartered schools for the education of the deaf or blind, community colleges, The Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, and The Pennsylvania College of Technology were eligible to apply for the grants. "Schools across Pennsylvania face tight budgets, and energy costs are one additional expense among a myriad of others," said Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe. Luzerne County: $400,000 to the Hanover Area School District to install solar panels to the district's high school. The district estimates the solar project will reduce its energy costs by 78%, reduce carbon emissions by approximately 100 metric tons annually, and serve as an educational tool for over 2,300 students to learn about renewable energy and its benefits. Legislation introduced to license music therapists Music therapists in Pennsylvania could be professionally licensed by the Commonwealth, bringing significant economic and therapeutic benefits to families and communities under new legislation introduced by state Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr., R-47, and Sen. Carolyn Comitta, D-19. The bipartisan legislation — Senate Bill 579 — would establish a board certification exam, continuing education requirements, and a code of ethics for trained music therapists to receive professional licensure under the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors. "For years, I have been pushing for Pennsylvania to establish state licensure for music therapists to provide another avenue for those in need of therapy services," Vogel said. "Due to not having state licensure, most patients are denied insurance coverage for this therapy and music therapists then are limited in job opportunities here in the Commonwealth and seek employment elsewhere. Patients are losing out on a beneficial health care option and Pennsylvania is losing out on family-sustaining jobs and generating economic revenue. I am happy to introduce this legislation again and continue to fight for this important treatment option for those who can truly benefit from it." "Music therapy can be a powerful tool to promote healing, well-being, and recovery. And licensing our highly trained music therapists will not only reduce public health costs and improve access to care, but it will also boost our economy, increase tax revenue, and help create jobs," said Comitta, who serves on the Senate Education Committee. "I'm proud to partner with Sen. Vogel on this legislation. I also want to recognize state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, who championed this issue in the House. I appreciate their efforts and the work of all our music therapists and advocates in communities across the Commonwealth." Music Therapy is an evidence-based healthcare profession that can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease pain, and improve communication and social skills. Pennsylvania is home to the largest number of higher education programs in the country for music therapy, yet professional licensure for music therapists is not currently offered in the Commonwealth. By establishing a license for music therapy, Pennsylvania could regain approximately $7 million by retaining graduates and $135.4 million by enabling music therapists to bill appropriately, according to the Pennsylvania Music Therapy Task Force. In addition, most insurance companies and Behavioral Health Managed Care Organizations (BH-MCOs) deny coverage to music therapists because they lack state licensure, even when they are nationally board-certified. Of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, at least 60 are blocked from reimbursed music therapy services with BH-MCOs. As a result, employers lose approximately $128,752 per music therapist, adding up to more than $93 million in lost revenue annually for Pennsylvania businesses, healthcare facilities, and therapy practices, according to the task force. Senate Bill 579 represents a significant opportunity to retain professional talent, expand health care access, and capture substantial economic value currently forfeited to neighboring states with more developed regulatory frameworks. Pennsylvania is currently home to more than 600 music therapists serving 49,000 residents each year. They assist clients with a variety of clinical needs, including Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorders, cerebrovascular accidents (strokes), dementia, depression, developmental and intellectual differences, Parkinson's disease, post-traumatic stress disorders, terminal illnesses, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairments, and more. Senate Bill 579 is before the Senate Consumer Affairs and Professional Licensure Committee. It is co-sponsored by 14 senators from both sides of the aisle. There is companion legislation in the House, House Bill 563, sponsored by Pashinski. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
In Ottawa, U.S. senators push trade, Canadian tourism to their states
OTTAWA — Five United States senators were in Ottawa Friday to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney and underscore the long-standing relationship between the two countries. At a press conference at the U.S. embassy, Republican Kevin Cramer dismissed the current tensions between Canada and the U.S. as a temporary setback. "There's no way in my view that any temporary bump in the road can become a permanent bump in the road, and I think that was really clear today," Cramer told reporters. The delegation also included Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Tim Kaine, Amy Klobuchar and Peter Welch. They said they want Canadians to continue to visit the United States ahead of the summer season and stressed how important trade with Canada is for the states they represent. Klobuchar said the goal was to get the U.S.-Canada relationship "back on track" ahead of summer. "I personally want Canadians to visit Minnesota as well as the rest of the beautiful states in our country," she said. Kaine, who represents Virginia, said Canada is his state's number one trading partner, and many Canadians go to Virginia Beach on vacation. "It's a very, very important relationship for us in Virginia," he said. The senators were also scheduled to meet with the ministers of foreign affairs, national defence and industry, as well as the Business Council of Canada. The visit comes at a fractious time in Canada-U.S. relations, with the two countries embroiled in a trade war triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has also threatened to make Canada the 51st state. The conflict has led to a wave of patriotism among Canadians, with many opting out of travel to the U.S. Carney was elected on a platform of promising to stand up to Trump, and to diversify Canada's trade relations away from the United States. Shaheen said the senators had a "good discussion talking about tariffs, talking about ways in which we are cooperating militarily and in the national security space, talking about the importance of the economic relationship that we have." She said they hope there will be continued "very positive discussions for ensuring that some of the cracks that have appeared in the relationship in recent months are healed and we move forward together." Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said in an interview with The Canadian Press that her meeting with the U.S. senators was "constructive." She said the conversation was about "the value of the economic partnership between Canada and the U.S." and the impacts of tariffs on the countries' economies. "I think we can have allies in the U.S. to find ways to lift these tariffs and that's definitely part of the conversation," Joly said, adding that her priority was to highlight the need to support frontline workers amid the trade war. She noted most of the senators who visited Ottawa were from border states. "In that sense, what Canadians have been doing across the country for the last months has been having an impact in the U.S. and so that's why it was important for us to be able to talk." -With files from Catherine Morrison This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025. Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Millions could lose food assistance under GOP's ‘big, beautiful bill,' CBO says
Millions of low-income Americans, including families with children, could lose their food stamp benefits under House Republicans' newly passed tax and spending cuts package, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released Thursday. Others could see smaller monthly assistance. The analysis is the latest to show the impact of the historic cuts to the nation's safety net programs contained in the package, which aims to fulfill President Donald Trump's agenda. The legislation would provide trillions of dollars in tax cuts while slashing federal support for food stamps and Medicaid to help offset the cost. The package, however, is expected to undergo multiple changes in the Senate, where some lawmakers have already expressed concerns about the safety net provisions. As written, the bill would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, the official name for food stamps, by roughly $286 billion over the next decade, according to the CBO analysis, which was requested by Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Angie Craig, ranking members of the Senate and House agriculture committees, respectively. House Republicans have said the measures are intended to 'restore integrity' to the program, which provides aid to roughly 42 million Americans. Among the most consequential and controversial provisions are expanding the program's existing work requirements to many older Americans, and, for the first time, to many parents. Also, states would have less flexibility in waiving these requirements during tough economic times. These measures would strip roughly 3.2 million people of their food stamp benefits in an average month over the next decade, CBO estimates. This includes 800,000 people who live with children ages 7 and older. States would have to share in the cost of the benefits for the first time, shouldering between 5% and 25% of the cost depending on their payment error rate. State responses would vary, but some 'would modify benefits or eligibility and possibly leave the program altogether because of the increased costs,' CBO projects. The provision would lead states to reduce or eliminate food stamp benefits for about 1.3 million people in an average month over the decade, CBO estimates. Also, subsidies for child nutrition programs would decrease for about 420,000 children during that period. Other measures in the bill, including capping annual increases in benefits, would also reduce monthly assistance. And a provision tightening eligibility for noncitizens would leave between 120,000 and 250,000 people without aid. CBO noted that the coverage loss projections are for each set of provisions individually and do not account for overlap in the people who could be affected. Its analysis does not provide an overall figure for how many people would lose access to food stamps. The House bill also calls for introducing the first-ever work requirement to Medicaid, which could leave millions of low-income Americans without health coverage, according to experts.
