Proposed SNAP cuts could deepen food Insecurity in Montana

The Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN) is deeply concerned by the proposed budget reconciliation bill, which would significantly weaken the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – a lifeline for thousands of Montanans and millions of Americans.

As Montana’s only statewide food bank, we witness the reality of hunger every day through our network of 330 partners across the state, who have reported an 11.9% increase in the need for food assistance. MFBN sees firsthand the critical role SNAP plays in keeping families fed, small businesses afloat, and rural communities strong.

In 2024 alone, SNAP brought in $158 million to Montana economies. Cutting SNAP benefits and shifting administrative burdens onto already-stretched state agencies will do nothing but deepen hunger and hardship – especially in rural and frontier communities like so many across Montana.

The proposals in both the House and Senate bills represent a stark step backward in the fight to end hunger. By permanently altering the structure of SNAP and slashing billions from the program over the next decade, these bills would cause direct harm to children, seniors, veterans, working families, and people with disabilities.

Roughly 30,000 Montanans would be at risk of losing some or all of their food assistance. These are our neighbors, our friends and our communities.

Here in Montana, where many counties are medically underserved and access to nutritious food is already limited, these proposed cuts would have devastating effects. Older adults may be forced to choose between paying for prescription medications and putting food on the table. Parents may have to decide whether to pay the rent or buy groceries. And children could lose access to free school meals that are vital to their health and education.

The Senate proposal mirrors the harmful provisions in the House version. It would cap future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, eroding the value of benefits over time. It also shifts an unsustainable 75 percent of administrative costs to state agencies – up from the current 50 percent – without providing the resources necessary to manage the increased burden.

In Montana, where state budgets are already tight, this would likely lead to cuts in other essential services or reduced access to food assistance for those who need it most.

Time limits on benefits for people unable to meet strict work or volunteer requirements ignore the realities of rural job markets, fluctuating work hours, and barriers such as transportation and health issues. Punishing people for circumstances beyond their control will not reduce hunger –it will only make it worse.

Hunger is not a partisan issue. It is a solvable problem – but only if we protect programs like SNAP. At MFBN, we know that food assistance lifts up entire communities. SNAP supports not just individuals and families, but also local grocers, farmers and economies throughout Montana.

We urge Montana’s congressional delegation, and all members of Congress, to reject these harmful cuts and instead invest in a stronger, more resilient nutrition safety net. The health and well-being of our state, and our nation, depends on it.

Let’s build a future where no Montanan has to wonder where their next meal will come from.