COLUMBUS, Ohio — As Congress approaches the July 4th deadline to pass President Donald Trump's "Great Big Beautiful Bill," the Republicans' proposed cut of $300 billion from the SNAP program — the largest in history — threaten to leave millions of Ohio residents without access to food. State food bank leaders are raising alarms, warning that these changes, which shift significant costs onto the states, could undermine the food security system, especially for children, seniors, and low-income families. In a state where every ninth resident depends on SNAP, rates cannot go higher.
The proposal, introduced by Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Arkansas), envisions a radical restructuring of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as "food stamps." It compels states to pay between 5% and 25% of benefit costs depending on error rates in calculations, and increases their share of administrative costs from 50% to 75%. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, this could mean additional costs for Ohio ranging from $158 million to $790 million annually, depending on the error rate, which stood at 15% in 2023, resulting in an additional burden of $473 million. "This isn't about fraud," said Jorie Novotni, Executive Director of the Ohio Food Bank Association, during an interview in Columbus. "It's about errors by overwhelmed staff and outdated systems that we can't afford to fix without federal funding."
These cuts are part of a broader Republican strategy to fund $4.6 trillion in tax cuts, which, according to analysis by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, benefits the wealthiest 10% of the population with 70% of the gains. Meanwhile, as Novotni emphasizes, Ohio's SNAP system, which provides debit cards for food purchases to families with incomes below $32,150 a year for a family of four, is already operating at the limit. The average benefit — $6.28 per person per day — barely covers basic needs, and extended delays in processing applications, sometimes lasting two or three hours, only make the situation worse. "Every child deserves food," Novotni said, speaking to congressional aides of Ohio Senators Bernie Moreno and J.D. Vance in Washington. "We can't allow political maneuvering to leave them hungry."
System on the brink of collapse
The proposed changes, included in the budget reconciliation package, threaten to overload Ohio's already strained social services system. Increasing administrative burden by 50% will complicate every step — from application submission to six-month income reviews. Novotni notes that current tolerance for small calculation errors ($57) will be eliminated, sharply increasing error rates and thus financial strain on the state. "We're talking about millions of transactions," she explained. "Even one dollar mistake can cost Ohio hundreds of millions." The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warns that in the worst-case scenario, states unable to cover these costs could entirely suspend participation in SNAP, leaving 1.3 million Ohio residents, including 400,000 children, without food assistance.
Food banks, which already serve three times as many people as before the pandemic, will be unable to fill this gap. Jamie Trout, Executive Director of Eastside Community Ministry in Zanesville, said her organization in Muskingum County is already struggling with rising food prices and tripled attendance over the past three years. "If SNAP is cut, we won't withstand the surge," she said. "Our shelves will be empty." In 2022, one-third of SNAP participants in Ohio were children, and another 250,000 were seniors, highlighting how vulnerable groups will be impacted by these changes.
Political and moral challenge
Republicans, including Boozman, claim that their approach is "common sense," aimed at increasing efficiency and accountability. However, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, the leading Democrat on the committee, called the proposal "shameful," warning that it "will leave more children, seniors, and veterans hungry." The Senate plan failed when member Elizabeth McDonough ruled that the requirement for states to cover part of SNAP payments violates budget rules, forcing Republicans to look for alternative ways to fund tax cuts. Nonetheless, the provision to shift 75% of administrative costs onto states remains, which, according to estimates, will cost Ohio $27 billion by 2034.
Anti-hunger advocates like Michael Young, pastor and board member of the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, describe these changes as a moral failure. "We are the richest nation in the world," he said. "Feeding people shouldn't be difficult. It's our responsibility." Research shows that SNAP not only reduces food insecurity but also improves health, education, and economic outcomes, lowering healthcare costs. However, the proposal to freeze the update to the Thrifty Food Plan, which determines benefit amounts, could cut benefits by $30 billion by 2034, forcing families to buy less food amidst rising prices.
Ohio's reaction and next steps
This Tuesday, Novotni met with aides to Senators Moreno and Vance in Washington, trying to persuade them to oppose cuts. Neither senator is a member of the Agriculture Committee, but their influence in the Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats, could be decisive. She called for a more transparent approach to SNAP reforms, emphasizing that "structural changes of this scale require careful discussion." Meanwhile, the fight in Congress continues over which provisions will remain in the final bill, expected to be passed before Independence Day.
In Ohio, local leaders from both parties support House Bill 178, which proposes additional SNAP benefits for seniors receiving less than $50 per month. Still, these efforts may be overshadowed if federal reductions go into effect. Governor Mike DeWine, who previously vetoed 44 provisions in the 2023 budget, could play a key role if the Senate approves the package. His position on SNAP remains unclear, but sources in Columbus suggest he may oppose the harshest cuts given their impact on vulnerable populations.
For a state where food banks are already stretched to the limit and 400,000 children rely on SNAP, these changes are not just budget issues but matters of survival. "We can't allow our neighbors to go hungry while the wealthy get tax breaks," Novotni said, standing before a Mid-Ohio Food Collective warehouse filled with boxes of food. As the clock ticks toward the deadline, Ohio faces a choice: protect its most vulnerable or sacrifice them for political priorities in Washington.
