Congressional Proposal to Push SNAP Food Costs to States Would Put 144,000 RI Children, Seniors, People with Disabilities & Veterans at Risk of Hunger
PROVIDENCE, RI — Slightly more than 144,000 Rhode Islanders — including low-income seniors, children, Veterans, and people with disabilities — could be at risk of going hungry if Congressional Republicans move forward with a plan to cut $230 billion or more from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over nearly 10 years. The plan’s proponents intend to use the money saved from SNAP to help pay for tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest business owners and households.
The specific details of the cuts are not public yet, but some Republican leaders are calling for states to be required to pay a portion of SNAP food benefits for the first time. SNAP is the country’s foremost anti-hunger program. Substantial cuts to SNAP would mean households with low incomes in every state would lose support they need to put food on the table, worsening food insecurity and hardship. Congress should reject this proposal and protect SNAP from harmful budget cuts.
To fund a portion of SNAP food benefits, Rhode Island would need to raise revenue, cut funding for other state-funded programs and services, cut SNAP benefit levels, restrict program eligibility, or some combination of these — all options that would cost Rhode Island more or take food assistance away from the 144,000 Rhode Islanders who rely on the program. (See Center on Budget and Policy Priorities table.) This proposal comes as legislators in Rhode Island are grappling with a deficit of around $200 million that must be closed for the fiscal year 2026 budget to be delivered in June.
“As rising food costs outpace incomes and Trump tariff threats push prices even higher, many Rhode Islanders are struggling to afford food and other basic necessities. To make matters worse, Congressional Republicans are putting critical nutrition assistance programs like SNAP on the chopping block so they can enact a billionaires-first tax cut. These Republican cuts would make more people food insecure and unfairly shift a larger burden on to states and non-profits,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed. “Higher rates of food insecurity in our communities lead to malnutrition, chronic health problems, and less productivity. We need healthy, productive Americans to continue to move America forward. I will continue working to protect and retain funding for nutrition assistance to feed our neighbors in need.”
“SNAP is a lifeline for so many kids, seniors, and veterans,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. “Republicans are trying to cut children off from healthy meals to fund tax cuts for billionaires — the last people in the world who need tax cuts. Our delegation will do everything we can to protect SNAP.”
“The Republican budget plan to cut $230 billion from food assistance and other vital programs overseen by the Agriculture Committee would hurt thousands of Rhode Islanders, especially children and seniors, all to fund tax breaks for billionaires,” said Congressman Seth Magaziner. “At a time when too many people are struggling to afford groceries, we should be strengthening food assistance, not gutting it. I will keep fighting alongside my partners in the delegation to keep food on the table for Rhode Islanders.”
“Organizations like the Economic Progress Institute and the Rhode Island Community Food Bank are on the front lines every day — distributing food and providing wraparound services for vulnerable neighbors in Rhode Island,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “As President Trump jacks up the cost of grocery staples with his chaotic tariff agenda, and Republicans seek to slash funding from critical nutrition assistance programs like SNAP and the School Lunch Program, I’m proud to work alongside our delegation to protect our local food supply chains that benefit seniors, children, and families in Rhode Island.”
“The prospect of this radical and sudden cost shift comes at a time when the Rhode Island budget is already strained,” said Economic Progress Institute Executive Director Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies. “As state legislators negotiate to work key tax and spending priorities into a balanced budget for next fiscal year, even a small new SNAP matching requirement would force wrenching trade-offs between letting more children go hungry and funding other important public services, such as education and public safety.”
“The impact that cuts to SNAP will have on low-income Rhode Islanders, on our community resources, and on our economy cannot be overstated,” said Food Bank CEO Andrew Schiff. “We must continue to make our voices heard and stand together in support of our most vulnerable residents.”
Rhode Island is supposed to receive about $341 million in SNAP benefits in FY2026. Republican leaders have not said how much they would force states to pay of SNAP food benefit costs. But if they create a new state match of 5% of SNAP benefits, it would cost Rhode Island about $17 million in FY2026. A 25% match requirement would cost the state $85 million. It would be the first time that the federal government did not fully fund the cost of food benefits, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
In Rhode Island, more than 49% of participating families have children and more than 46% of participating families include seniors or adults with disabilities. Nearly one in three participants is in a working family. Research shows SNAP reduces food insecurity and is linked to improved health, education, and economic outcomes and to lower medical costs for participants.
SNAP helps families and individuals afford a basic diet by providing modest benefits that are used to purchase food in stores throughout the nation. SNAP is extremely efficient; by boosting low-income households’ food purchasing power so they can buy needed food directly from stores, SNAP integrates economically marginalized persons with almost no administrative overhead. With about 248,000 retailers participating in SNAP nationwide, including more than 900 authorized retail locations in Rhode Island, the program represents an important public-private partnership. These stores range from big-box superstores and supermarkets to grocery stores, specialty stores, farmers markets, and convenience stores.
Every $1 in additional spending on SNAP benefits in a weak economy generates $1.54 in economic activity when households use their benefits to shop at local businesses in their communities, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
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