Republicans Considering Cutting SNAP Benefits As Part Of Deficit Reduction Plan

The proposed cut would reverse a permanent boost put in place by President Joe Biden.

WASHINGTON — More than 22 million households could see their food budgets shrink as part of the Republican agenda to reduce federal spending.

Republicans are considering an array of cuts to social programs in order to save the government money, including a change to the way benefits are calculated under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

Benefits would shrink across the board under a SNAP cut included on a list, first obtained by Politico, of “spending reform options” House Republicans are looking at. The reform would change the way SNAP benefits are calculated, saving $247 billion over a decade, a reduction of about 20%. It’s one of the single largest cuts on a list that adds up to more than $5 trillion overall.

The document may be less an indication of what Republicans will actually do than an illustration of how difficult it will be for them to achieve the dramatic spending cuts envisioned by billionaire Elon Musk and the far-right lawmakers who are most vocal about cutting spending. Many of the cuts, including the change to SNAP benefits, would likely prove unpopular — even among a sizable number of House Republicans themselves.

Still, Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) blasted the proposal in a statement on Friday, saying it “not only means taking food from hungry children, but also less demand for the food our farmers produce, manufacturers package, truckers haul and grocery store clerks stock on the shelves.”