Latest news with #JohnHoeven
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House GOP's SNAP proposal sparks concern from Senate Republicans
A House GOP-backed proposal that would cut billions in federal dollars from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation's largest food assistance program, is drawing concerns from Republicans in the upper chamber. The proposal, included in House Republicans' recently passed package to enact President Trump's tax priorities and spending cuts, would require states to cover a share of SNAP benefits costs, which are currently completely funded by the federal government. 'That's something that I heard some members voice concern about,' Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) said Thursday. 'So, we'll need to address that.' While Boozman said Senate Republicans aren't drawing a red line around the plan just yet, members 'want to look specifically at how those particular policies will affect their individual states.' 'Some of that we know, some of it we don't.' The House bill calls for the federal share of the cost of SNAP to go from 100 percent in the next two fiscal years to 95 percent starting fiscal 2028. It also includes language that would increase states' shares of the costs in fiscal 2028 depending on their payment error rates. If the error rate is 6 percent or higher, states would be subject to a sliding scale that could see their share of allotments rise to a range of between 15 percent and 25 percent. 'That's in the we'll see category. I'm not sure what's going to happen with that,' Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) told The Hill on Thursday when asked about the idea. 'We're going to talk to committee members who can talk to our caucus as a whole,' he said, but he noted that the House's cost-share pitch for states goes 'beyond' what some senators had been looking at for 'accountability' efforts. Republicans defending the proposal say the measure would hold states accountable for billions of dollars in erroneous payments to participants annually, providing an incentive for states to keep their payment error rates down. 'We've seen that when states actually focus on error rates, they can bring them down very quickly, and obviously that's what we want, but we don't want people who are not eligible for the program receiving payments,' Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) said. 'These error rates are far too high.' In fiscal 2023, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that the national payment error rate was 11.68 percent. The vast majority of states on the list have payment error rates, which factors in a state's overpayments and underpayments, above 6 percent. But Democrats have sharply criticized the proposal, which they argue could lead to states cutting benefits on their own. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the SNAP proposal would reduce direct spending by more than $128 billion from 2028 to 2034 — accounting for a chunk of the minimum $230 billion in savings the House Agriculture Committee was instructed to find as part of the lower chamber's first stab at crafting Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' Other proposals in the bill would tighten eligibility requirements for the program, seek to block the federal government from being able to increase monthly benefits in the future, and increase states' share of costs to administer SNAP. Democrats are seizing on an analysis they requested from CBO on the potential effects of the plan, which estimated about 1.3 million people could see their benefits reduced or eliminated in an average month between 2025 and 2034 if lawmakers take the approach to require states to cover some benefit costs. While the CBO noted 'there would be a variety of state responses to the new requirement,' it said it expects 'that some states would maintain current benefits and eligibility and others would modify benefits or eligibility or possibly leave the program altogether because of the increased costs.' 'In CBO's view, state responses would vary; thus, CBO estimated state responses in the aggregate using a probabilistic approach to account for a range of possible outcomes,' it said in a letter Thursday. The CBO estimated that such reductions or eliminations in benefits would lead to a roughly $30 billion decrease in direct spending from 2028 to 2034. It also estimated 'subsidies provided through child nutrition programs would decrease for about 420,000 children in an average month, reducing direct spending by about $700 million over the 2028–2034 period.' The CBO noted that the analysis does 'not account for interactions among provisions,' explaining that the sum of effects to separately enact each measure would differ from the effects of enacting multiple proposed SNAP reforms at once due to the overlap in affected populations. In a statement on Thursday, Rep. Angie Craig (Minn.), top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, accused Republicans of waging an 'attack on working Americans that takes food away from families.' 'The Republicans' budget will make America hungrier, poorer and sicker. Parents struggling to afford groceries for their families and seniors living on fixed incomes will have their food taken away if this bill becomes law,' she said. SNAP work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents would also expand under the plan, which calls for increasing the age threshold at which such adults must continue to work to qualify from up to 54 to 64 years of age. While many of the proposals are supported by Republicans of various factions in both chambers, some voted for the plan this week with the expectation that the Senate would eventually make some changes. Rep. Don Bacon (D-Neb.), a key moderate, said he's open to states fronting a portion of SNAP benefit costs, but he wasn't entirely in favor of the 5 percent to 25 percent cost-sharing range for states. 'I really didn't like it, but I don't mind a small mark, because, really, they execute it, and if they're not executing them well, this gives them skin in the game,' Bacon told The Hill. But he added that 25 percent 'seems a little high.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate Republicans put House on notice: We won't accept your Trump agenda bill without changes
WASHINGTON — As House Republicans scramble to corral the votes to pass a massive bill for President Donald Trump's agenda, their Senate counterparts are making clear the emerging package won't fly as written when it reaches them. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., was categorical that the product coming out of various House committees cannot pass the Senate as it currently stands. 'No. We'll make changes,' Hoeven said. 'We've been talking with the House and there's a lot of things we agree on. … But there'll be changes in a number of areas.' It wouldn't surprise House members to learn that their Senate colleagues want to put their own fingerprints on the final multitrillion-dollar package. But Republican senators have already begun to identify a variety of provisions in the House measure that they're targeting for revisions — from Medicaid concerns to clean energy funding to spectrum policy and overall red ink. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., came out against the emerging House legislation this week, saying it will explode the U.S. budget deficit. 'I don't see any scenario where it's going to be deficit-neutral. That's my problem,' he told NBC News. 'By my calculation, this is going to increase the deficit by $4 trillion.' 'The amount that they're looking to reduce spending is about 1.3%. It's a rounding error. It's completely inadequate,' Johnson said as he insists federal spending be at least lowered to pre-pandemic levels. Republicans have 53 senators, meaning they can only lose three votes before the bill collapses int he chamber, as they have no hope of winning Democrats. They've already lost Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who wants steeper cuts. And Democrats are dialing up the heat on GOP attempts to cut energy funding in the Inflation Reduction Act, highlighting the 2022 law's economic and national security benefits. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, led a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., last month with three other Republicans warning that 'termination' of certain clean energy tax credits enacted in 2022 'would create uncertainty, jeopardizing capital allocation, long-term project planning, and job creation in the energy sector and across our broader economy.' The House committee tasked with writing the tax provisions of the package is seeking to repeal significant subsidies for electric vehicles and aims to phase out other clean energy tax incentives that were passed in the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law by then-President Joe Biden. On Wednesday, Murkowski told NBC News she, John Curtis, R-Utah, Thom Tillis, R-NC, and Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, 'made clear that we needed to take a cautious approach to the energy tax credits and make sure that we don't lose out on some of the good investments that we built.' Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has also been warning against Medicaid cuts as the House bill seeks to impose work requirements and provider funding limits that have been panned by critics. 'I will not support Medicaid benefit cuts,' Hawley told NBC News on Tuesday, adding that he has 'concerns with pieces' of the House bill because of what it would mean to rural hospitals in his state. He later wrote on X: 'I don't want to see rural hospitals close their doors because funding got cut. I also don't like the idea of a hidden tax on the working poor. That's why I'm a NO on this House bill in its current form.' Hawley's concerns are shared by Murkowski as well as Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who voted against the budget framework last month, citing concerns about Medicaid cuts harming her state. Another issue Senate Republicans want to revise are provisions that House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said would renew 'the Federal Communications Commission's spectrum auction authority and provide resources to modernize federal information-technology systems,' and save $88 billion. 'I've had a chance to actually look at the language on the spectrum issue. It clearly has to be corrected,' said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said the policy needs 'to go much further, much further' and she 'cannot accept it as it came out of the' House Energy and Commerce Committee. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is hoping to steer the measure through the House Budget Committee on Friday and pass the entire bill through the chamber — with some changes — before Memorial Day. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who faces re-election next year in a competitive state, said the Senate will need to review the House language on Medicaid cuts, clean energy money and other policies before making a decision. Tillis also said the Senate isn't enthused by the draft House bill's policy to raise the cap on the state and local tax deduction to $30,000, up from $10,000. Unlike in the House, there are no GOP senators in the high-tax blue states where 'SALT' is a big issue. 'I think that's an area where we're going to need some consideration,' Tillis said. This article was originally published on
NBC News
15-05-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Senate Republicans put House on notice: We won't accept your Trump agenda bill without changes
WASHINGTON — As House Republicans scramble to corral the votes to pass a massive bill for President Donald Trump's agenda, their Senate counterparts are making clear the emerging package won't fly as written when it reaches them. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., was categorical that the product coming out of various House committees cannot pass the Senate as it currently stands. 'No. We'll make changes,' Hoeven said. 'We've been talking with the House and there's a lot of things we agree on. … But there'll be changes in a number of areas.' It wouldn't surprise House members to learn that their Senate colleagues want to put their own fingerprints on the final multitrillion-dollar package. But Republican senators have already begun to identify a variety of provisions in the House measure that they're targeting for revisions — from Medicaid concerns to clean energy funding to spectrum policy and overall red ink. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., came out against the emerging House legislation this week, saying it will explode the U.S. budget deficit. 'I don't see any scenario where it's going to be deficit-neutral. That's my problem,' he told NBC News. 'By my calculation, this is going to increase the deficit by $4 trillion.' 'The amount that they're looking to reduce spending is about 1.3%. It's a rounding error. It's completely inadequate,' Johnson said as he insists federal spending be at least lowered to pre-pandemic levels. Republicans have 53 senators, meaning they can only lose three votes before the bill collapses int he chamber, as they have no hope of winning Democrats. They've already lost Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who wants steeper cuts. And Democrats are dialing up the heat on GOP attempts to cut energy funding in the Inflation Reduction Act, highlighting the 2022 law's economic and national security benefits. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, led a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., last month with three other Republicans warning that 'termination' of certain clean energy tax credits enacted in 2022 'would create uncertainty, jeopardizing capital allocation, long-term project planning, and job creation in the energy sector and across our broader economy.' The House committee tasked with writing the tax provisions of the package is seeking to repeal significant subsidies for electric vehicles and aims to phase out other clean energy tax incentives that were passed in the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law by then-President Joe Biden. On Wednesday, Murkowski told NBC News she, John Curtis, R-Utah, Thom Tillis, R-NC, and Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, 'made clear that we needed to take a cautious approach to the energy tax credits and make sure that we don't lose out on some of the good investments that we built.' Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has also been warning against Medicaid cuts as the House bill seeks to impose work requirements and provider funding limits that have been panned by critics. 'I will not support Medicaid benefit cuts,' Hawley told NBC News on Tuesday, adding that he has 'concerns with pieces' of the House bill because of what it would mean to rural hospitals in his state. He later wrote on X: 'I don't want to see rural hospitals close their doors because funding got cut. I also don't like the idea of a hidden tax on the working poor. That's why I'm a NO on this House bill in its current form.' Hawley's concerns are shared by Murkowski as well as Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who voted against the budget framework last month, citing concerns about Medicaid cuts harming her state. Another issue Senate Republicans want to revise are provisions that House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said would renew 'the Federal Communications Commission's spectrum auction authority and provide resources to modernize federal information-technology systems,' and save $88 billion. 'I've had a chance to actually look at the language on the spectrum issue. It clearly has to be corrected,' said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said the policy needs 'to go much further, much further' and she 'cannot accept it as it came out of the' House Energy and Commerce Committee. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is hoping to steer the measure through the House Budget Committee on Friday and pass the entire bill through the chamber — with some changes — before Memorial Day. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who faces re-election next year in a competitive state, said the Senate will need to review the House language on Medicaid cuts, clean energy money and other policies before making a decision. Tillis also said the Senate isn't enthused by the draft House bill's policy to raise the cap on the state and local tax deduction to $30,000, up from $10,000. Unlike in the House, there are no GOP senators in the high-tax blue states where 'SALT' is a big issue. 'I think that's an area where we're going to need some consideration,' Tillis said.
E&E News
13-05-2025
- Business
- E&E News
EPA inches toward approval of North Dakota coal ash program
EPA is leaning toward approving North Dakota's management program for coal ash, the biproduct of burning coal for electricity, in a move that could have repercussions for energy costs and water pollution. The agency has 'preliminarily determined' that North Dakota has the funding and personnel needed to manage coal ash dump sites in the state and that its approach would be sufficiently protective of the environment. The state is a major coal producer and burns coal for over half of its electric power, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Gov. Kelly Armstrong (R) and Republican North Dakota Sens. Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven praised the proposed decision. EPA described it as an example of the Trump administration's efforts to work with states and promote energy production. Advertisement 'By advancing a state-led coal ash program that meets federal standards, we're reinforcing our commitment to environmental protection while recognizing North Dakota's capability to manage its own resources,' Cyrus Western, the administrator of EPA Region 8, said in a news release Monday.
Fox News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Capitol Hill lawmakers react to election of first American pope: ‘Unbelievable'
Fox News caught up with several senators on Capitol Hill Thursday for their thoughts on the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, and many voiced excitement about the historic first. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., called the news "unbelievable." "If you told me ahead of time, I said, 'No way. Never happen.' This is phenomenal," said Hoeven. "I've been telling folks they'll never pick an American cardinal to be the pope. And I thought, you know, maybe somewhere else, but probably back to Europe. So, this is so exciting. I can't believe it." A member of the Augustinians, a religious order within the Catholic Church, the newly elected pope was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955. He studied at Villanova University, was ordained a priest in 1982 and was named a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023. Hoeven called Pope Leo XIV's selection "phenomenal," saying, "American Catholics are just going to be thrilled. I know they're just thrilled." Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said, "As an American Catholic, I am incredibly excited." Kelly quipped that "as an Arizonan, this is probably the best pick the Cardinals have made since Larry Fitzgerald." Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said "we're very proud in Illinois" and mentioned that she hopes Leo "brings some of his hometown to the Vatican with him." Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., commented on a post of Leo's on X before he was elected pope in which he appeared to criticize Vice President JD Vance for his justification for stricter immigration enforcement. "Hopefully, the new pope can use his pastoral powers in order to help JD Vance and Donald Trump understand their responsibilities representing the most powerful and wealthiest nation in the world," Markey said. "To ensure that we also protect those who are the most vulnerable and most in need." The senator asserted that Leo "will continue the legacy of Pope Francis" and that "this new pope channels that history of the Catholic Church, standing up for those who are most in need against those who are most powerful." Despite Markey's assertions that Leo will follow in Francis' footsteps, the new pope has already differed from his predecessor in several ways, including taking the more traditional name "Leo" and by wearing the traditional red cape of the papacy, which Francis chose not to wear after his election in 2013. After emerging to address the crowd assembled in St. Peter's Square Thursday, Leo's first words were "Peace be with you," which he said in Italian. He delivered a message to the faithful on building bridges, peace and dialogue "without fear."
