President Donald Trump’s budget bill transferred the cost of millions of dollars of food benefits onto states, but it also mandated that states take on a much larger share of the administrative burden as well.
“States aren’t going to be able to deal with this, and some states may choose to walk away from SNAP. And what this is going to do is increase food insecurity and hunger in this country,” Rep. Jim McGovern, a Democrat and longtime food-benefits advocate and member of the House Agriculture Committee, told NOTUS.
While potential cuts to food benefits in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have been widely derided by Democrats, the shift of administrative costs have been discussed far less. Currently, the federal government covers half of those costs. Starting Oct. 1, 2026, the state share is set to increase to 75%.