Denver is at the center of a significant debate regarding the future of a federal food assistance program that countless Coloradans rely on. With more than 600,000 Coloradans currently receiving benefits through the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and a 38% increase in just five years, this program plays a crucial role in feeding families.

Food Banks vs. SNAP: A Critical Lifeline

Sarah Mason from Feeding Colorado, an association of five Colorado food banks, emphasizes the importance of SNAP. "Food prices are on the rise, and more people than ever are accessing nutrition programs. SNAP provides families with a significant amount of help. For every meal a food bank provides, SNAP can offer nine meals. It's an extremely effective and targeted program," she says.

However, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have concerns about spending on SNAP, claiming that too much money is wasted or lost through fraud. The Government Accountability Office estimates that SNAP benefit fraud could cost taxpayers between $1 billion and $4.7 billion each year. U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a member of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, deems it reprehensible that any money goes to waste in these programs.

The Republican plan as part of the Farm, Food and National Security Act aims to rein in spending. But according to the Congressional Budget Office, limiting future spending increases could lead to a cut of up to $30 billion from SNAP over 10 years. This would have a significant impact on SNAP participants.

The Impact on Colorado Food Banks

Mason warns that cuts to SNAP would likely increase the demand on Colorado food banks. "Since they won't be able to utilize SNAP as much as they did in the past, food banks will face more pressure," she explains.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) analyzed the Republican plan and found that every SNAP participant would experience a benefit cut. Roughly $7 less per person per month over the 2027-2031 period and $15 less per month in 2032 and 2033. These cuts would initially equal a day's worth of benefits and rise to almost two days' worth by the end of the decade.

Democratic Proposals in the Senate

Democrats have their own plan in the U.S. Senate. It expands SNAP eligibility for military families and college students and calls for studying the impact of allowing recipients to buy hot foods, which they are currently unable to do. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, believes this will give farmers certainty and ensure rural communities thrive while putting food on the tables of those in need.

Despite the differences in SNAP spending plans, both the Republican and Democratic proposals would remove the lifetime ban that prevents people with felony drug convictions from signing up for SNAP. Colorado opted out of this federal ban in 2022.

Farm bills are typically renewed every five years, but lawmakers have been unable to reach an agreement on a new one. With only a few weeks left in the current Congress, it's likely that another extension of the 2018 farm bill will be passed. The responsibility of approving a new farm bill and deciding on SNAP changes will fall on the new Congress and incoming Trump Administration.