SNAP work requirement carveouts for vets, homeless caught in crosshairs of Trump bill
Share this @internewscast.com

Congress may soon eliminate exemptions to work requirements for veterans, homeless individuals, and former foster care youth who receive food assistance.

Although House Republicans retained these exemptions to work requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as part of their comprehensive strategy to promote President Trump’s tax reduction and spending goals, Senate Republicans excluded this crucial language in their version of the bill. These exemptions were originally part of a bipartisan agreement reached two years ago.

The Senate Agriculture Committee, led by Republicans, confirmed that the absence of this provision would lead to the discontinuation of exemptions for these three groups.

The move has drawn little attention on both sides of the aisle so far, as other pieces of the Republicans’ megabill take center stage, including significant changes to Medicaid and what some estimates have projected as a multitrillion-dollar tax package. 

Even multiple GOP members of the Senate committee that produced the text say they intend to press for more information about the potential change before the upper chamber votes on the bill.

“When you have an opportunity to restore dignity and hope and belief back to someone, we’re doing something that I think is, is our obligation, you know, we should try to help people that are down under luck and having a hard time,” Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), a member of the committee, also told The Hill when asked about the matter. 

However, he added, “From the standpoint of the SNAP benefits and everything, if we’re doing something that is detrimental to our veterans, shame on us, because they have given us so much it’s off the chart.”

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) said Wednesday that “everybody ought to be treated the same” when asked about the matter. A Senate Republican aide also noted that individuals who aren’t “able-bodied” wouldn’t “have to meet those requirements” under the Senate plan.

Congress had previously agreed to temporary changes to work requirements for SNAP in 2023 as part of a bipartisan deal to cap annual federal spending and raise the nation’s debt limit. That included measures carving out exemptions through September 2030 for individuals experiencing homelessness, veterans, and young adults who were in foster care at the age of 18.

In a statement on the matter last Friday, the Senate committee said Republicans are working “to encourage greater independence through work and training opportunities.” 

However, it noted its plan would still allow for “individuals who are physically or mentally unfit for employment are not required to meet the 20 hours per week work requirement whether in those groups or not.”

The decision comes as Republicans in both chambers are working to root out “waste, fraud and abuse” in what some have described as a “bloated” government program that has seen its spending climb over the years.

Other notable changes Republicans are seeking to make to SNAP include requiring states to cover some of the cost of benefits and front a greater share of administrative costs for the program, as well as limiting the federal government’s ability to increase monthly benefits in the future.

The Senate Agriculture Committee estimates its plan will yield “an approximate net savings of $144 billion” in the coming years, with Republicans’ proposal requiring states to cover some SNAP benefits costs estimated to account for a significant portion of the projected spending reductions.

The plan is part of a larger pursuit by the party to find measures to reduce federal spending by more than a $1 trillion over the next decade that can ride alongside an extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and other tax priorities.

Democrats have come out in staunch opposition to the evolving proposal that is being exclusively crafted between House and Senate Republicans.

“The Republican bill takes food away from vulnerable veterans, homeless people and young adults who are aging out of the foster care system and may not know where their next meal is coming from,” Rep. Angie Craig (Minn.), top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Republicans want to make these cuts to food assistance to fund new tax breaks for people who are already wealthy and large corporations,” she added. 

Some experts are also sounding the alarm.

“It is a huge deal. These groups were carved out for a reason. They are vulnerable for a reason,” Kyle Ross, a policy analyst for Inclusive Economy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said, adding the exemptions apply to “different populations with their own special set of circumstances.”

“There are an estimated 1.2 million veterans receiving SNAP, and veterans are more likely to live in a food insecure household than nonveterans, so they’re really more likely to be in need of some food assistance,” he said, while also pointing to barriers homeless individuals and those aging out of foster care face in the job market.

But others have argued against the need for the special carveouts. 

Angela Rachidi, senior fellow at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute (AEI), described the 2023 spending caps deal as “a political compromise,” noting that Republicans had also secured increases to the age threshold for SNAP as part of the deal under the Biden administration. Some hardline conservatives had also been critical of the deal at the time, while pointing to SNAP’s exemptions. 

“Many states would exempt people anyway because of mental health issues and you don’t always necessarily have to have a doctor’s note for it,” she said, while also arguing there wasn’t “anything unique about those populations that make them not capable of work.”

She added that doing away with the carveouts could help lessen states’ burden by removing “another level of screening.”

“They don’t have to assess somebody for their veteran status or foster status, and they would assess them anyway for their shelter status,” she said, while suggesting from a “bureaucratic perspective, it actually might make it easier.”

At the same time, Lauren Bauer, a fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, pointed to the added strain states could face if other proposals from Republicans to increase states’ cost share of the program’s benefits and administrative cost also take effect.

“What the bill also does is, on both sides, you know, reduces the support that the federal government gives to states to administer the program and identifying and validating exemptions, the health exemptions, etc. is very expensive,” Bauer said.

“And administering work requirements is also very, very expensive, because it is onerous not only on the SNAP participant, it’s onerous on the state who is managing the program,” she added. 

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Archaeologist unearths mysterious Christian settlement hidden away for centuries

Archaeologist Discovers Long-Lost Christian Settlement Hidden for Centuries

An archaeologist recently discovered what are likely the remains of a long-lost…
Israel Coalition Against Houthis: Pressuring US for Yemen Strikes

Israel Coalition Advocates for US Intervention: Urging Strikes on Houthis in Yemen

Israel is urging the United States to resume military operations against Yemen’s…
Aaron Judge’s game-ending sac fly leads Yankees to stunning comeback win over Mariners

Aaron Judge’s Sacrifice Fly Seals Yankees’ Thrilling Comeback Victory Against Mariners

The Yankees avoided being on the wrong side of history and then…
SBU Colonel Ivan Voronych, 50, was shot dead by a masked assassin in Kyiv

Shock as Ukraine Special Ops Chief Is Assassinated with Silenced Pistol in Cold Blood

This is the chilling event where a leading Ukrainian special operations official…
Fifth paralyzed patient implanted with Musk-backed Neuralink chip

Neuralink Installs Brain Chip in Fifth Paralyzed Patient

A fifth paralyzed patient has been implanted with a Neuralink chip backed…
Chinese satellites complete groundbreaking mission 22,000 miles above Earth

Chinese Satellites Achieve Revolutionary Milestone 22,000 Miles in Space

China’s space program made significant progress recently when two of its satellites…
Gavin Newsom's Big Address to the Nation Was a Lie-Filled Disaster

Democrats Criticized for Supporting High-Density Housing Following California Wildfires

For quite some time, California Democrats have pushed for the development of…
Marcus Stroman's 'gritty performance' kept Yankees in it early

Marcus Stroman’s Determined Effort Keeps Yankees Contending Initially

Late-game Yankees heroics? Sure, but how about another “gritty” five-inning start from…
A 60cm-tall mud volcano in Cusco, Peru.

Locals in Peru Discover the ‘World’s Smallest Volcano’ Erupting with Gases and Sludge

A VOLCANO touted as the smallest in the world has been discovered…
Photo of a Chinese citizen detained in Kyiv, Ukraine, for allegedly attempting to export classified documents.

Ukraine Detains Chinese Father and Son Accused of Spying on Long-Range Missile Program

A CHINESE dad and his son have been accused of attempting to…
The NEA's antisemitic ADL split: Letters

The NEA and ADL Division: Examining the Antisemitic Allegations

The Issue: The National Education Association cuts ties with the Anti-Defamation League.…
SBU Colonel Ivan Voronych, 50, was shot dead by a masked assassin in Kyiv

Putin Supporters Celebrate Bold Daytime Assassination of Ukrainian Spy Chief, Hint at Kremlin Involvement

VLADIMIR Putin’s associates have openly celebrated the bold assassination of the Ukrainian…