President Donald Trump wants to reverse increases to food aid made under the former Biden administration — but he could be hurting his own voters the most with those plans, reported Politico.That's causing members of the administration to be wary of how to go about doing it.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, more colloquially known as food stamps, allows lower-income people to purchase “any food or food product intended for human consumption,” with the exception of alcohol, tobacco and hot foods. The program, administered at the state level but made possible with federal funding, has been tweaked many times, with an expansion under the Biden administration.
An official within the White House, granted anonymity to speak to Politico, "said the administration wants to avoid a 'one-two punch' ahead of the midterms to low-income MAGA voters and red states that could be forced to stretch their budgets," reported Meredith Lee Hill.
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Experts studying the plan to reduce SNAP payments have said these cuts "would disproportionately hit the Senate battlegrounds of Georgia and North Carolina, the presidential swing states of Arizona and Pennsylvania, as well as blue states like New York and California, home to a significant bloc of vulnerable House GOP members," per the report.
Republicans have made cuts to SNAP, as well as Medicaid health coverage, a crucial part of how they balance the numbers for Trump's tax cut plan. However, Medicaid cuts have already become a massive point of contention, with some Republicans like Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) putting their foot down over the potential impact it could have on rural communities.
More generally, the GOP has long expressed disdain for government food assistance, which is typically paired with the Department of Agriculture's farm subsidy programs to ensure bipartisan compromise. Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX), while pushing legislation to remove the exemption for veterans from work requirements for SNAP, suggested veterans should "stop eating the Cheetos" and "contribute" to society if they want to eat.