LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Republican push to pass the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" before the end of the week continues, but it’s raising concerns about potential cuts to social services, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Michael Halligan, CEO of God’s Pantry, expressed worry about the proposed changes in Congress, which could impact Kentucky's most vulnerable residents.
"It's about providing good nutrition so that people can thrive," he said.
The federal SNAP program currently aids approximately 600,000 Kentuckians by supplementing their grocery budgets, according to Feeding Kentucky.
The nearly 900-page bill, recently passed by Senate Republicans this week, aims to use federal spending cuts on SNAP to finance tax cuts.
These proposed changes include expanding work requirements to older individuals and parents with older children.
States will also be required to cover of the program.
The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy estimates that the changes could increase the state's costs by $190 million annually, placing added financial pressure on the Commonwealth.
"What I worry about is the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and frankly every other state in the United States, is going to have to make a difficult choice between absorbing those costs and reducing benefits so they can afford to manage whatever the costs are," Halligan said.
SNAP recipients in Kentucky currently receive an average of about $5.50 per day in benefits.
In a demonstration by Halligan, this amount was barely enough for two cans of soup and a bag of grapes, highlighting the program’s current limitations.
Without SNAP, Halligan fears the strain on local food pantries will grow, increasing the risk of hunger among low-income families.
The bill is now back in the House facing a vote.
Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) responded to a request for comment about the SNAP concerns, writing:
"I support SNAP reforms in the Big Beautiful Bill because the bill ensures SNAP goes to Kentuckians who truly need it—not ineligible recipients. Our reforms also strengthen SNAP by targeting the program for those who need it while setting work expectations for able-bodied adults without dependents and rewarding states that keep error rates low."
LEX 18 also requested a comment from Rep. Hal Rogers, of Kentucky's 5th Congressional District, which has one of the highest SNAP participation rates in the country. We did not hear back.
