Congressional Republicans Welcome SNAP Reductions as USDA Secretary Highlights 5 Million Removed from Program
Key Takeaways
- •Approximately 5 million Americans are being removed from SNAP benefits as a result of policy changes enacted under President Trump's legislative agenda known as the 'One Big Beautiful Bill.'
- •Republican senators Roger Marshall and Ron Johnson both stated they have not received notable constituent complaints regarding the SNAP cuts, with Johnson characterizing the reforms as targeting ineligible recipients rather than reducing benefits overall.
- •The Republican-led Senate Agriculture Committee is scheduled to conduct its Farm Bill markup on Thursday, which will determine SNAP eligibility rules, funding levels, and work requirements.
- •Congressional Republicans project more than $700 billion in savings through the legislation, while Democrats on the Agriculture Committee are pushing to protect vulnerable families affected by the combined SNAP and Medicaid reductions.
- •Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) criticized the cuts, stating that combining SNAP and Medicaid reductions effectively dismantles what remains of the country's social safety net.
WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans are expressing support for the removal of approximately 5 million Americans from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP and formerly referred to as food stamps, following policy changes enacted under President Donald Trump's legislative agenda. SNAP, the nation's largest federal nutrition assistance program, serves tens of millions of low-income Americans and is reauthorized through the Farm Bill, the sweeping multiyear legislation that also governs agricultural subsidies and conservation programs.
When asked by Raw Story whether constituents had reached out regarding the SNAP cuts, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, responded: "None." Speaking at the Capitol, Marshall added: "I haven't had one constituent ask me about losing SNAP."
On Tuesday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins drew attention when she highlighted the effects of Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" in cutting off millions of Americans from SNAP benefits. Republican lawmakers in Congress have largely welcomed the policy shift.
"Have you heard from any constituents who've been hurt by these SNAP benefit cuts or no?" Raw Story asked Senate Budget Chair Ron Johnson (R-WI).
"No. Personally, no," Johnson replied. "We get hundreds of calls to our offices every day, so I would say that's not popping up as a top issue in the report I see daily."
When pressed on whether the reforms included in the "Big Beautiful Bill" are achieving their intended goals, Johnson responded affirmatively.
"Absolutely, they're weeding out people that are not eligible for those benefits so that we can make sure we have the dollars available to people who are eligible for the benefits," Johnson said. "The purpose is not to cut benefits. The purpose is to make sure we only provide them to people who are truly eligible."
Asked whether he was confident that genuinely needy individuals were not being adversely affected, Johnson said: "Listen, we're very generous in America. And we try and take care of people who really need help."
The Republican-led Senate Agriculture Committee is set to proceed with its Thursday morning markup of the sweeping Farm Bill, which also encompasses SNAP provisions. The Farm Bill markup represents one of Congress's most consequential recurring legislative actions on domestic food policy, as the reauthorization process sets eligibility rules, funding levels, and work requirements that directly determine how many Americans can access benefits.
Congressional Republicans included more than $700 billion in projected "savings" through Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill." Democrats on the Agriculture Committee are calling for measures to protect the most vulnerable families in their states.
"Are you hearing from families?" Raw Story asked Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO).
"Absolutely," Bennet replied. "Look, when you combine the Medicaid cuts and the cuts to SNAP, what they're doing is, basically, savaging what's left of the safety net in this country, and that's not a road we should be going down."
