Nebraska Lawmakers Worry How Budget Reconciliation Bill Will Impact SNAP

By Gordon HopkinsPrior to the U.S. Senate vote on the 940-page budget reconciliation bill, a bipartisan cadre of Nebraska lawmakers signed onto a letter addressed to U.S. Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts regarding cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) proposed by the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” as it has been called by President Donald Trump and is now formally titled.Despite the letter and the concerns raise therein, both Fischer and Ricketts voted for the bill, which passed 50 to 51, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. The letter reads, in part, “SNAP is an essential resource that helps Nebraskans weather difficult times. It provides timely, targeted grocery assistance and helps ensure that families with children, older adults, people with disabilities and workers in low-wage or unstable jobs can keep food on the table. According to our local foodbank partners and the Food Research Action Center, SNAP supports approximately 152,000 people in our state, including 64,000 children, nearly 5,000 veterans, and 17,000 seniors. Additionally, around 1,400 local retailers across Nebraska urban and rural communities benefit from the program, helping ensure a good return on investment for our state.” A major concern as expressed in the letter is the expense that will be passed onto the state, “Proposed federal cuts and cost-shifting reforms to SNAP in current budget reconciliation discussions pose serious risks to Nebraskans. If enacted, these changes would—for the first time in the program's history, —shift millions in costs to our state. Some estimates indicate that if the Senate Agriculture Committee's proposal is adopted, Nebraska would be on the hook for approximately $16 million in benefit costs and an additional $12.1 million in administrative expenses to maintain program operations. The combined cost to Nebraskans would exceed $61 million. These policy choice dynamics would put significant pressure on our state budget and may result in reduced benefits or more restrictive eligibility for our most vulnerable residents.” The list of Nebraska lawmakers that signed the letter incudes:Senator Tom Brandt, LD 32;Senator Eliot Bostar, LD 29;Senator John Cavanaugh, LD 9;Senator Machaela Cavanaugh, LD 6;Senator Danielle Conrad, LD 46;Senator Myron Dorn, LD 30;Senator Robert Dover, LD 19;Senator George Dungan, LD 26;Senator John Fredrickson, LD 20;Senator Dunixi Guereca, LD 7;Senator Jana Hughes, LD 24;Senator Megan Hunt, LD 8;Senator Margo Juarez, LD 5;Senator Terrell McKinney, LD 11;Senator Jason Prokop, LD 27;Senator Dan Quick, LD 35;Senator Victor Rountree, LD 3; andSenator Ashlei Spivey, LD 13. After the Senate vote, the bill was returned to the House of Representatives.It was President Trumps intention that the bill be passed by July 4. The bill was approved by the House on July 3.

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