UPDATE: July 3 at 3 p.m.
On Thursday afternoon, President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" was approved by Congress and is headed to Trump's desk for him to sign.
The President and CEO of God's Pantry, Michael Halligan, released a statement after the bill passed:
"God’s Pantry Food Bank is deeply disappointed by the final passage of legislation under H.R. 1, which weakens the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a lifeline for nearly 600,000 Kentuckians and millions of Americans nationwide.
This bill, now headed to the President’s desk for signature, includes harmful provisions that risk increasing hunger, especially among children, seniors, veterans, and working families who rely on SNAP to put food on the table. The changes, including new work requirements for families with school-aged children and cost shifting to state governments, do not reflect the reality of life in Central and Eastern Kentucky, where food insecurity is widespread and support systems are already stretched thin.
SNAP is a proven, efficient, and effective program. For every meal provided by food banks, SNAP provides nine. God’s Pantry Food Bank and our network of more than 500 food pantries and meal programs cannot fill the gap these policy changes will create.
We are particularly concerned about the long-term consequences for rural communities, where access to childcare, jobs, and transportation is limited. Forcing parents to choose between work and caring for their children during school breaks is not a solution; it’s a recipe for deeper hardship. Shifting SNAP costs and administration to states will also strain local resources, increase bureaucratic complexity, and make it harder for eligible families to access support."
Original Story:
At God’s Pantry Food Bank, we remain committed to advocating for policies that strengthen our ability to fight hunger. We will continue to work alongside our partners, lawmakers, and communities to ensure every Kentuckian has access to the food and resources they need to thrive. As we look to the future, we urge Kentucky’s congressional delegation to champion a bipartisan Farm Bill that protects and strengthens all nutrition programs, including SNAP.
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.
