Latest news with #ThriftyFoodPlan
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mike Johnson is wrong: Millions could lose SNAP benefits under GOP bill, analysts find
Statement: 'We are not cutting' the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. As the Senate reviews the Trump administration-backed "big, beautiful bill," Republican lawmakers insist it will not reduce Americans' benefits. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the bill won't affect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps low-income people buy food. An average of 42.1 million people participate in the program each month. "We are not cutting SNAP," Johnson said in a May 25 episode of CBS News' "Face the Nation." "We're working in the elements of fraud, waste and abuse. SNAP for example, listen to the statistics, in 2024, over $11 billion in SNAP payments were erroneous." There were about $10.5 billion estimated improper SNAP payments for fiscal year 2023 — payments made in the wrong amount or that should not have been made — according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That comes to about 11.7% of the program's payments. But the bill does more than tackle waste and fraud. Three detailed, independent analyses of the reconciliation bill found it would cut the number of program beneficiaries by millions of people. When asked for comment, Johnson spokesperson Griffin Neal referred PolitiFact to the speaker's full "Face the Nation" comments, in which he also said, "What we're doing is strengthening Medicaid and SNAP so that they can exist, so that they'll be there for the people that desperately need it the most, and it's not being taken advantage of." Based on different provisions of the bill, analysts estimate roughly 1.3 million to 11 million people losing SNAP benefits. The Congressional Budget Office, Congress' nonpartisan economic and budgetary analysts, projected that a provision that expands work requirements would lead to an estimated 3.2 million people losing SNAP benefits in a given month. "If enacted, this would be by far the largest cut to food assistance in history," said Katie Bergh, senior policy analyst on the food assistance team at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank. The group's analysis said the bill would cut federal funding for SNAP by about 30% altogether."We estimate that more than 2 million children live in low-income households that would lose SNAP entirely or see their food benefits substantially cut," Bergh said. The average monthly SNAP benefit per person as of fiscal year 2024 was $187.54. Multiple provisions in H.R. 1, or the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," would affect SNAP. For one, the bill would allow only citizens and lawful permanent residents to receive SNAP benefits. It would also freeze increases to the Thrifty Food Plan. That plan establishes the average cost of a nutritious, home-prepared meal and is used as the basis for calculating households' maximum SNAP benefit amounts. By not allowing increases to the Thrifty Food Plan, households' SNAP benefits are less likely to keep pace with retail prices and inflation, and would in effect become cuts. The bill also expands work requirements for SNAP eligibility. Currently, able-bodied recipients ages 18 to 54 with no dependents must work 80 hours per month to obtain SNAP benefits. The bill would raise the upper age limit to 64 for people who don't live with dependents and people who live with children ages 7 and older. It also gives states less leeway to waive work requirements in areas with high unemployment rates, and it requires that they pay a share of SNAP benefit costs beginning in 2028. SNAP is currently fully funded by the federal government; under the bill, states would have to fund from 5% to 25% of SNAP costs, depending on their payment error rates. Error rates are calculated based on how accurately states determine eligibility and benefits. In a May 22 letter, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the bill's provisions would "reduce spending on SNAP by $285.7 billion" over the next nine years, from 2025 to 2034. The office estimated that the bill's work requirement expansion, coupled with the measure restricting states' ability to waive work requirements, would lead to an average of 3.2 million people in a given month losing SNAP benefits in the same nine-year period. As for states' response to the newly mandated contributions, the CBO also estimated that "states collectively would reduce or eliminate benefits for about 1.3 million people in an average month" in the same period. Allowing only citizens and lawful permanent residents to participate in SNAP would reduce $4 billion in spending, the office estimated. Meanwhile, failing to increase the Thrifty Food Plan would bar increases to monthly SNAP benefits based on actual food prices and "reduce the federal government's direct spending by $37 billion" from 2027 to 2034, the CBO said. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, based on its analysis published before the House passed the bill, had a higher estimate for the effect of the proposed work requirement expansion, saying it could cause nearly 11 million people to lose SNAP benefits. It said that SNAP's "deepest cuts" would come from the federal government pulling back on its funding by 5% to 25% and demanding states supply that instead. "If a state can't make up for these massive federal cuts with tax increases or spending cuts elsewhere in its budget, it would have to cut its SNAP program (such as cutting eligibility or making it harder for people to enroll) or it could opt out of the program altogether, terminating food assistance entirely in the state," the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' analysis said. The Urban Institute, a Washington D.C. think tank, in a May 21 analysis estimated a more limited effect from the proposed work requirement expansion, but it still said millions of families would be affected. That provision "would result in 2.7 million families and 5.4 million people losing some or all of their family's SNAP benefits in a month, with an average loss of $254 per family per month," it said. Johnson said the tax reform bill is "not cutting SNAP." Analyses by the Congressional Budget Office, the Urban Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities show that millions of people could be removed from SNAP if the bill is enacted. We rate Johnson's claim False. CBS News, Transcript: House Speaker Mike Johnson on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," May 25, 2025 Email exchange with Griffin Neal, spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson, May 27, 2025 Emailed statement from Katie Bergh, senior policy analyst for food assistance at Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, May 28, 2025 H.R.1 - One Big Beautiful Bill Act Government Accountability Office, Improper Payments: USDA's Oversight of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Sept. 26, 2024 USDA Economic Research Service, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - Key Statistics and Research, accessed May 28, 2025 USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation and Costs, data as of May 9, 2025 Congressional Budget Office, Potential Effects on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program of Reconciliation Recommendations Pursuant to H. Con. Res. 14, May 22, 2025 Urban Institute, Expanded SNAP Work Requirements Would Reduce Benefits for Millions of Families, May 21, 2025 USDA Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP and the Thrifty Food Plan, accessed May 28, 2025 USDA Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP Quality Control, accessed May 29, 2025 USDA Food and Nutrition Service, USDA Food Plans, accessed May 29, 2025 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, By the Numbers: House Republican Reconciliation Bill Takes Food Assistance Away From Millions of People, updated May 23, 2025 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Expanded Work Requirements in House Republican Bill Would Take Away Food Assistance From Millions: State and Congressional District Estimates, May 13, 2025 The Urban Institute, Expanded SNAP Work Requirements Would Reduce Benefits for Millions of Families, May 21, 2025 The Washington Post, Some in GOP want big cuts to food assistance in Trump's tax bill. Committee chairs say no., May 1, 2025 The New York Times, What's Going On in This Graph? | SNAP 'Thrifty Food Plan', Oct. 7, 2021 Center for American Progress, RELEASE: The House Republican SNAP Cuts Would Take Food From Hungry Families, May 12, 2025 Politico, House budget bill would cut millions of people from food aid, CBO says, May 22, 2025 The New York Times, Here's What's in the Big Domestic Policy Bill to Deliver Trump's Agenda, May 22, 2025 This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Millions could lose SNAP benefits under GOP bill, analysts find
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Possible reduction of SNAP Program raises alarms for Virginia foodbank
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a budget reconciliation bill Friday morning that would include deep cuts to programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. The cuts would result in 9.5 million meals lost every year, according to Feeding America, and would strain foodbanks like the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore which are already stretched thin. 'Food banks cannot fill the gap left by cuts to federal nutrition programs like SNAP,' said Christopher Tan, President and CEO of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. 'SNAP is our country's first line of defense against hunger.' The bill, which passed with a vote of 215-214, would include major changes such as: Shifting a portion of SNAP costs to states Expanding work requirements up to age 64 and to parents of children over age seven Capping future benefit increases by making Thrifty Food Plan updates revenue neutral 'If the Senate does not remove these harmful provisions, we will see longer lines, more families in crisis, and increased pressure on our network of community partners,' Tan explained. The bill also included a proposed $625 billion in cuts to Medicaid, which would cause at least 7.6 million people to lose health coverage by 2034, according to budget analysts. 'We are asking our local community to join us in contacting their Senators during this critical time,' Tan added. 'This is not just about policy, it's about people. And right now, people need support, not cuts.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Problems could outpace savings from proposed cuts to federal food and health programs
Feeding South Dakota is the state's largest hunger-relief organization and a member of the Feeding America Network. (Courtesy of Feeding South Dakota) As Congress weighs the latest budget reconciliation bill, it's important to take a step back and consider how these decisions will affect everyday people in South Dakota. Reducing federal spending and promoting self-reliance are important goals, but some of the proposed changes could unintentionally create more problems than they solve. If you've been to the grocery store lately, you've likely noticed how much harder it has become to afford the basics. For many families in South Dakota this isn't just a budget concern – it's a daily challenge. We urge Rep. Dusty Johnson, Sen. Mike Rounds and Senate Majority Leader John Thune to consider the concerning impacts that the current proposal by the House could have. Federal support for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would be significantly reduced, shifting more of the cost to states. South Dakota's share of that expense could range from $9 million to $18 million as early as 2028 — an increased pressure on a state budget already stretched thin. SD Rep. Johnson votes yes as U.S. House Republicans push through budget reconciliation bill At the same time, it would impact the South Dakota economy as SNAP supports 789 retailers in the state to the tune of over $156 million. Each SNAP dollar has up to $1.80 of economic impact, supporting the supply chain from farmer to store. Reduce the program, reduce the revenue. The increased state cost and reduced revenue would force states to make tough choices: cut benefits, limit eligibility or raise taxes to cover the gap. Proposed Medicaid cuts would hit rural hospitals especially hard, many of which are already stretched thin. These facilities are often the only source of care in their communities, and losing access would be devastating. The bill also includes new requirements tied to work. SNAP already includes work incentives and gradually reduces benefits as income rises. In South Dakota, over 80% of SNAP recipients live in a family that has one working adult. Congress modernized SNAP by requiring regular updates to the monthly benefits. However, the current bill includes a proposal to limit future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, which determines SNAP benefit levels. This would reduce support over time, even as food prices remain high. The average SNAP benefit is still just $6.57 per person, per day, in our state. At Feeding South Dakota, we are seeing more working families, seniors, children and veterans through our programs and partners; in fact, 15% more than this time last year. We are operating at full capacity and have already felt the very real impact of federal changes after food for 147,000 meals was immediately discontinued in April. It is critical that federal programs stay strong to support the fight to end hunger, or the gap between need and resources will become too great for us to close. If you take nothing else from this, know that the proposed cuts would: Increase hunger. Decrease local revenue. Overwhelm already strained food pantries. We urge our lawmakers to think critically about any cuts through a budget reconciliation bill that undermines SNAP and Medicaid. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SNAP increase helped lift nearly 3M people out of poverty: Analysis
Nearly 3 million people were kept out of poverty after Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits saw a boost under the Biden administration, researchers at the Urban Institute found. An analysis released by the think tank this week said that SNAP benefits rose by 21 percent from 2021 after the Biden administration's reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan, which is used to determine benefit amounts for the program. Not accounting for the influence of other pandemic-era efforts, the analysis found that the adjustment helped lift 2.9 million people out of poverty and reduced 'poverty by 4.6 percent in 2021.' Child poverty also declined due to the higher benefits, the analysis found, noting a reduction in 'the number of children living in poverty by 7.6 percent nationally, or 1.3 million children.' Researchers said the higher SNAP benefits yielded significant results in places like Alabama; Washington, D.C.; Oklahoma; Rhode Island; and West Virginia, where the report noted 'increased benefits reduced the number of people living in poverty by over 8 percent.' A closer look at the numbers also showed the number of children in poverty dropped between 10 and 14 percent in 13 states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina and Ohio. 'The District of Columbia saw the greatest child poverty reduction, a reduction of more than one-third,' the analysis stated. The analysis comes as advocates and Democrats have raised the alarm over potential SNAP cuts as Republicans ramp up work on a massive tax cut package that conservatives hope will also include well north of $1 trillion in spending cuts. The specifics are still unknown as to what will make the cut in the coming plan, as Republicans prepare for a series of markups upon Congress's scheduled return from recess next week in efforts to begin crafting the tax bill. However, a blueprint for the plan approved by congressional Republicans earlier this month included instructions on the House side for its Agriculture Committee, which has jurisdiction over SNAP and other food and nutrition programs, to find more than $200 billion in cuts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
22-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
SNAP increase helped lift nearly 3 million people out of poverty: analysis
Nearly 3 million people were kept out of poverty after Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits saw a boost under the Biden administration, researchers at the Urban Institute found. An analysis released by the think tank this week said that SNAP benefits rose by 21 percent from 2021 after the Biden administration's reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which is used to determine benefit amounts for the program. Not accounting for the influence of other pandemic-era efforts, the analysis found that the adjustment helped lift 2.9 million people out of poverty and reduced 'poverty by 4.6 percent in 2021.' Child poverty also declined due to the higher benefits, the analysis found, noting a reduction in 'the number of children living in poverty by 7.6 percent nationally, or 1.3 million children.' Researchers said the higher SNAP benefits yielded significant results in places like Alabama, Washington, D.C., Oklahoma, Rhode Island and West Virginia, where the report noted 'increased benefits reduced the number of people living in poverty by over 8 percent.' A closer look at the numbers also showed the number of children in poverty dropped between 10 and 14 percent in 13 states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina and Ohio. 'The District of Columbia saw the greatest child poverty reduction, a reduction of more than one-third,' the analysis stated. The analysis comes as advocates and Democrats have raised the alarm over potential SNAP cuts as Republicans ramp up work on a massive tax cuts package that conservatives hope will also include well north of $1 trillion in spending cuts. The specifics are still unknown as to what will make the cut in the coming plan, as Republicans prepare for a series of markups upon Congress's scheduled return from recess next week in efforts to begin crafting the tax bill. However, a blueprint for the plan approved by congressional Republicans earlier this month included instructions on the House side for its agriculture committee, which has jurisdiction over SNAP and other food and nutrition programs, to find more than $200 billion in cuts.
