As Congressional Republicans were patting themselves on the back for cutting nearly $300 billion from food assistance programs, Connecticut Democrats voiced concerns about the bill’s impact on nearly 400,000 state residents who rely on food assistance every month.
In the middle of the night last week, Republicans in D.C. passed Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” through the House, cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from federal food assistance programs.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance to lower-income families, ensuring they can afford nutritious food that is critical to their health and well-being. According to 2024 data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and statistics from the Food Research and Action Center, here’s a snapshot of who relies on this program:
- 391,200 Connecticut residents received SNAP benefits, equaling around $894.2 million and $190 per month per member.
- Over 53% of SNAP participants are families with children, 44% are families with older or disabled adults and 36% are working families.
- 129,000 Connecticut children benefit from the SNAP program.
- 9,491 Connecticut veterans receive benefits.
- 60% of participants have income below the poverty line and 28% of participants have income below 50% of the poverty line.
- Between the years 2015-2019, SNAP lifted 64,000 residents over the poverty line each year, including 27,000 children.
Should this bill go on to pass the Senate as written, Connecticut taxpayers would be on the hook for 75% of the cost of administering SNAP and between 5-25% of the cost of the benefits, food items. This would cost state taxpayers between $83 million and $261 million.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that for every dollar in SNAP benefits we distribute there is $1.50 in economic activity created. SNAP dollars generate income for small grocers, big box stores, local farmers and farmers markets and more.
State Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, said Congressional Republicans were cutting $300 billion from the most vulnerable population.
“Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are taking food off the plates of children, seniors, folks with disabilities and the working poor to give tax cuts to the richest Americans,” Lesser said. “This unfunded mandate on Connecticut taxpayers is unconscionable and while Connecticut has a strong network of food assistance programs, we will not be able to sustain current service levels if these cuts are realized.”
