[CGI News] Iowa revenues drop, but congressional Republicans would push SNAP costs to state budget
Plan would push SNAP food costs to state budgets
Hunger risk for 259,000 Iowa children, seniors and people with disabilities
DES MOINES, Iowa – More than a quarter-million Iowans who receive federal food assistance benefits could be at risk of going hungry if Congress pursues a Republican plan to cut $230 billion or more from the program over nearly 10 years.
A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) outlines the stakes for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
While federal lawmakers haven’t made public specific details of potential cuts, some Republican leaders want to require states to pay a portion of SNAP food benefits for the first time.
“This would be an extremely risky choice,” said Anne Discher, executive director of the nonpartisan Common Good Iowa. “Iowa state revenues are projected to drop as state income-tax cuts lawmakers passed in the last few years are being phased in.”
To fund a portion of SNAP food benefits, Iowa would have only difficult choices: raise revenue, cut funding for other state services, cut SNAP benefits, further limit who is eligible, or enact some combination of these.
At risk is food assistance for an estimated 259,300 Iowans based on FY 2024 participation.
“Forcing states to help pay SNAP benefits would let federal policymakers in DC enact unpopular cuts while making someone else — state policymakers in Des Moines — decide which participants lose benefits,” Discher said. “We urge our entire delegation to oppose any final budget resolution that includes cuts to SNAP.”
Republican leaders have not said how much they would force states to pay of SNAP food benefit costs. But CBPP estimates a new state match of 5% of SNAP benefits would cost Iowa about $251 million from FY2026-34, while a 25% match requirement would cost Iowa $1.254 billion over that time.
It would be the first time that the federal government did not fully fund the cost of food benefits.
“Iowa would have had to pay almost $53 million last year, which is roughly equivalent to what that state spends annually on its agricultural department and in supporting efforts to help people access treatment for issues with addiction, combined,” the CBPP report stated.
Common Good Iowa is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public policy research and advocacy organization based in Des Moines. For more information, visit www.commongoodiowa.org.
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For More Information:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2025
CONTACT: Mike Owen, mowen@commongoodiowa.org, or Anne Discher, adischer@commongoodiowa.org