'Catastrophic': GOP Pushes Largest-Ever Cuts to Food Aid to Fund Tax Breaks for the Rich

House Republicans are set to hold a committee hearing Tuesday on legislation that would inflict the largest-ever cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—a highly effective anti-poverty program that tens of millions of people across the U.S. rely on to afford groceries—to help offset the cost of further slashing taxes for the rich.

The proposal, which is part of the GOP's sprawling reconciliation package, would shift some SNAP costs onto states and expand the program's work requirements, adding procedural hurdles that advocates say will make it harder for families in need to obtain benefits.

One recent analysis estimated that imposing harsher work requirements on SNAP enrollees would cause millions to lose benefits at a time of elevated food costs and rising hunger.

The new bill would also freeze updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, which is used to determine SNAP benefit amounts. Freezing the plan would effectively cut SNAP benefits for all recipients, analysts said.

"Bottom line: This bill would worsen hunger and hardship," said Ty Jones Cox, vice president for food assistance at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "If enacted, it would be the largest cut to SNAP in history—taking food from struggling families to give tax cuts to the wealthy. Our leaders can and must do better."

Overall, the Republican legislation aims to slash federal SNAP spending by $290 billion over the next decade. Lawmakers on the House Agriculture Committee are set to mark up the bill at a hearing on Tuesday at 7:30 pm ET.

"SNAP is an efficient anti-hunger program," said Kyle Ross, a policy analyst at the Center for American Progress. "Yet, House Republicans' proposals would gut this program, and take food away from the hungry to give tax breaks to the ultrawealthy. These budget proposals make it clear where their priorities lie."

Republicans unveiled their plan for deep SNAP cuts shortly after releasing draft legislation that confirmed their push for another round of tax giveaways for the richest Americans.

Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, said Monday that "Republicans are fast-tracking catastrophic cuts to food assistance, taking food away from seniors living on fixed incomes and parents who are struggling to afford groceries for their children."

"This smash-and-grab job busts up the farm bill coalition and abandons the traditionally bipartisan legislation that American agriculture relies on to remain competitive and that family farmers need to get through these tough economic times," said Craig. "We should make food assistance work better for those it was designed to protect—like children and moms—not cut it so Republicans can fund more tax breaks for those at the very top."