June 25, 2025
Right now, Congress is debating the deepest cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the history of the program. These cuts put our most vulnerable neighbors at risk, including children, seniors, working families and veterans.
The Senate plans to vote on a bill before June 30 that would cut more than $200 billion from SNAP. Some of the most harmful provisions include:
1. Shifting costs to states, including up to 15% of benefit costs plus new administrative costs.
– PA could owe over $800 million annually in new state dollars – forcing the state to cut food benefits and/or other essential services or raise taxes.
– For the first time, SNAP would not be able to respond during an economic downturn: more people need food assistance, but state budgets won’t be able to keep up with demand.
2. Adding bureaucratic red tape and paperwork requirements related to work for several new groups, including
– Parents with children ages 14 and up
– Older adults ages 55-64
– Veterans
– People experiencing homelessness
– Youth aging out of foster care
Note: 78% of Pennsylvanians on SNAP who are eligible for work, already do work. They may not, however, have consistent work or be able to submit timely and accurate paperwork to maintain their food assistance. Proposed changes mean these families will risk losing their food assistance if their hours are reduced or if their paperwork is not processed correctly. This threatens to take food away from over 200,000 Pennsylvanians, including children and seniors.
Other components of the bill are included in our analysis of the House Bill passed in May.
Read our letter to Senators Fetterman and McCormick and join us in urging them to protect SNAP.