March 11, 2025

Hannah Morris, Communications Manager

morris@coloradofiscal.org

584,500 people in Colorado who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could be at risk of going hungry if Congressional Republicans move forward with a plan to cut $230 billion or more from the program over nearly 10 years. The specific details of the cuts are not public yet, but some Republican leaders are calling for states to be required to pay a portion of Coloradans’ SNAP food benefits for the first time. Congress should reject this proposal and protect SNAP from harmful budget cuts.

To fund a portion of SNAP food benefits, Colorado would need to raise revenue, cut funding for other state-funded programs and services, cut SNAP benefit levels, restrict program eligibility, or some combination of these—all options that would cost the state more or take food assistance away from Coloradans. This proposal comes as the state faces a budget shortfall of over $1 billion. Because the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) caps how much the state government can spend in a year, it would be impossible to replace the lost funds to our state.

Republican leaders have not said how much they would force states to pay of SNAP food benefit costs. But if they create a new state match of 5% of SNAP benefits it would cost Colorado about $618 million in 2026; a 25% match requirement would cost Colorado $1.2 billion in 2026. It would be the first time that the federal government did not fully fund the cost of food benefits, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 

Congressional Republicans are pushing deep federal spending cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and other vital services to “offset” the costs of extending and expanding tax cuts for the wealthy. Their tax cuts for households with incomes in the top 1 percent alone would cost roughly $1.1 trillion over 10 years. Forcing states to help pay SNAP benefits would let federal policymakers enact unpopular cuts while making someone else—Colorado policymakers—decide which participants lose benefits.

“The prospect of this radical and sudden cost shift comes at a time when the Colorado budget is already strained,” said Caroline Nutter, Legislative Coordinator at Colorado Fiscal Institute. “As state legislators negotiate to work key tax and spending priorities into a balanced budget for next fiscal year, even a small new SNAP matching requirement would force wrenching trade-offs between letting more children go hungry and funding other important public services, such as K-12 education and affordable housing.”

If Colorado were required to match even 10% of SNAP benefit costs, it would be equivalent to the cost of paying an additional 2,139 full time K-12 teachers. States could pass along some of the cost to counties and cities, either directly or indirectly.

“This proposal and other potential cuts to SNAP will take away food benefits from children, veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities and raise grocery bills,” said Nutter. “We urge our entire delegation to oppose any final budget resolution that includes cuts to SNAP.” 

In Colorado, more than 64% of participating families have children and more than 25% of participating families include seniors or adults with disabilities. Research shows SNAP reduces food insecurity and is linked to improved health, education, and economic outcomes and to lower medical costs for participants. 
SNAP benefits are spent at more than 3,100 grocery stores in the state. Every $1 in additional spending on SNAP benefits in a weak economy generates $1.54 in economic activity when households use their benefits to shop at local businesses in their communities.

Download this release as a PDF.