Millions of low-income people would lose access to federal food aid under the House budget plan passed early Thursday, according to a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office.
CBO estimates that the plan’s increased work requirements for parents and older people will force 3.2 million people out of the program in an average month and slash $92 billion in federal spending. The exact number of people who could lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is not yet clear, because the bill’s various provisions could interact with each other, CBO said.
The bill, which cuts nearly $300 billion in federal food aid spending, is also expected to reduce aid amounts for recipients through several policy tweaks, CBO notes.
The CBO analysis, requested by Agriculture Committee ranking members Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), comes as the House bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Some key Senate Republicans, including Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.), have expressed doubt about the proposed SNAP cost-share with states.
