Republicans Look to Take Away Donald Trump’s Power to Change SNAP Benefits

Republicans are looking to take away President-elect Donald Trump’s ability to change SNAP benefits as they debate the idea of more largely stripping away presidential power concerning the federal food stamp program.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides monthly food benefits to more than 40 million low-income Americans.
However, now that Trump has secured the presidency, some of his Republican allies in Congress have been floating the idea of reducing his power to make certain kinds of changes to SNAP.
In 2017, Congress’ farm bill gave the White House the power to increase SNAP benefits, even when doing so would cause the national debt to grow. But now Republicans are pushing to get rid of that power, keeping SNAP benefits lower in the long run and likely to diminish the national debt, The Washington Post reported.
Republicans have also considered enacting more limits on what type of foods SNAP recipients could purchase with their EBT cards. Another idea on the table is expanding work requirements for SNAP eligibility, which would also likely mean the costs associated with SNAP would decline in the long run.
“We know the plays, we know the reforms that are needed at this time,” House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington of Texas told The Washington Post.
“We know there’s tremendous waste. What we don’t seem to have in the hour of action, like when we have the trifecta and unified Republican leadership, is the political courage to do it for the love of country. [Trump] does. And whether you like it or not, if you’re on the other side of the political spectrum, you at least have to respect that he’s going to do what he thinks is right.”
Newsweek reached out to Trump and Arrington for comment via email.
Trump previously called for a nearly 30 percent cut to the SNAP program. He also pushed to add new work requirements and proposed changing the way benefits work to a “Harvest Box” that would send an assortment of foods to needy families instead of relying on the EBT card benefits that recipients are able to use on SNAP-eligible grocery items in stores.
“We need to encourage people by giving them a helping hand but not allowing it to become an indefinitely giving hand,” Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said in 2019. “Now, in the midst of the strongest economy in a generation, we need everyone who can work, to work. This rule lays the groundwork for the expectation that able-bodied Americans re-enter the workforce where there are currently more job openings than people to fill them.”
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor, said more Republicans are realizing that while Trump’s proposals for lower taxes sound good in theory, the cuts could also trigger a significant uptick in the national debt unless spending is curbed in other areas.
“The potential restriction of the presidency to have more of a say in the increase in government-funded benefits may signal a concern that Republican legislators don’t have faith in the White House to make the needed cuts because they could prove highly unpopular with voters,” Beene told Newsweek.
“In the past, if President Trump saw that certain decisions weren’t popular with voters, he pivoted away from them. Some Republicans don’t want him to be swayed on budgetary items.”
A majority of Trump’s base live in Republican-leaning states, which have some of the highest SNAP participation rates, said Kevin Thompson, a finance expert and founder and CEO of 9i Capital Group.
“Republicans understand Trump’s desire to appease his base and would like to come to a bi-partisan or congressional decision that does not significantly increase the current deficit,” Thompson told Newsweek.
Still, Thompson said some Republicans could stay more loyal to Trump than to their commitment to lowering the national debt.
“I would presume it could pass, but many of the members may be loyal to Trump and vote against limiting his power,” Thompson said. “It all comes down to if the Republicans can get along with themselves at this point.”