Eighteen of Nebraska’s 49 state senators signed and sent a letter to Washington on Wednesday, urging U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts and Deb Fischer to “preserve and protect” the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) amid proposed federal cuts and cost-shifting reforms included in the budget reconciliation bill currently under consideration in the Senate.
Six of these lawmakers represent parts of Lancaster County: Senators Tom Brandt (R), Eliot Bostar (D), Danielle Conrad (D), Myron Dorn (R), George Dungan (D), and Jason Prokop (D).
Lancaster lawmakers absent from the letter include: Senators Carolyn Bosn (R), Beau Ballard (R), Rob Clements (R), and Jane Raybould (D).
The letter cited figures from the Food Research Action Center, purporting that SNAP supports approximately 152,000 Nebraskans, including 64,000 children, nearly 5,000 veterans, and 17,000 seniors. Additionally, around 1,400 local retailers across Nebraska urban and rural communities benefit from the program.
“Proposed federal cuts and cost-shifting reforms to SNAP in current budget reconciliation discussions pose serious risks to Nebraskans,” the letter read. “If enacted, these changes would—for the first time in the program’s history—shift millions in costs to our state. Some estimates indicate that if the Senate Agriculture Committee’s proposal is adopted, Nebraska would be on the hook for approximately $16 million in benefit costs and an additional $12.1 million in administrative expenses to maintain program operations. The combined cost to Nebraskans would exceed $61 million. These policy choice dynamics would put significant pressure on our state budget and may result in reduced benefits or more restrictive eligibility for our most vulnerable residents.”
“We thank you for your time and attention to this matter and respectfully urge your continued leadership to preserve and protect SNAP. Please let us know how we can continue to work together to ensure strong collaboration to benefit Nebraska taxpayers, local businesses, agriculture producers, and Nebraska neighbors in need,” it finished.
Other Senators who signed onto the letter include:
- Senator John Cavanaugh (D)
- Senator Machaela Cavanaugh (D)
- Senator Robert Dover (R)
- Senator John Fredrickson (D)
- Senator Dunixi Guereca (D)
- Senator Jana Hughes (R)
- Senator Megan Hunt (Progressive-Independent)
- Senator Margo Juarez (D)
- Senator Terrell McKinney (D)
- Senator Dan Quick (D)
- Senator Victor Rountree (D)
- Senator Ashlei Spivey (D)
Ricketts Response
During his weekly press conference with reporters by-phone, Ricketts was asked about the letter and how he expected the Nebraska to grapple with the possible burden shift to the state.
Ricketts declined comment due to the bill’s current status in the Senate, “because nothing has actually been set in stone.”
However, the former Governor turned Senator cited his work on the SNAP Next Step program as his preferred method to reduce SNAP costs. The program provides SNAP recipients with access to resources like job search coaching, interview preparation, and resume writing in hopes to move them off the federal program.
According to Ricketts, 60% of families under the Next Step program were able to end their need for SNAP, and the other 40 percent reduced their need for SNAP.
“These are the types of programs I’m advocating for in Washington D.C.,” said Ricketts. “As we go forward, we’ll be watching how [the reconciliation bill] impacts the state of Nebraska… I’m still going to have to have the opportunity to be able to read through the bill to know what the specific impacts are.”