Several former Republican governors in the Senate have raised alarms over a controversial House GOP plan to help pay for the Trump megabill by pushing billions in federal food aid costs to states. This provision, which would shift significant costs related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from the federal government to state budgets, has sparked widespread concern among Republican lawmakers, including those who have previously held state executive offices. Now, Senate candidate Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor of Alabama, has joined the chorus of Republican senators who are sounding warnings about the potential financial strain the plan could place on states like Alabama, which is a deep-red state.
Tuberville, a steadfast ally of former President Donald Trump, has been a vocal supporter of the House bill’s strict work requirements for SNAP benefits. However, he has expressed increasing doubts about the financial viability of the provision, particularly as it could place an enormous burden on state budgets should he be elected governor. In a recent interview, Tuberville acknowledged that his concerns over the cost-sharing measure are well-founded, noting, “Everybody that’s going to be in state government is going to be concerned about it. I don’t know whether we can afford it or not.”
The House provision, which is a key component of the Trump megabill, would require deep-red states like Alabama to cover billions of dollars in new costs or face the prospect of cutting benefits for low-income families. While the House GOP has argued that the provision is necessary to achieve spending cuts, many Republican senators, including Tuberville, have raised concerns about its potential impact. At least two dozen other GOP senators have also quietly voiced similar worries about how their respective states could be affected by the plan.
Senate Republicans involved in the discussions have expressed surprise that current GOP governors have not been more openly vocal about the House plan, as many House Republicans had assumed the Senate would strip the cost-sharing provision from the megabill. However, the Senate GOP is now considering a range of options to scale back the measure without fully eliminating it. Senior Republicans have discussed one potential compromise that would require every state to cover five percent of the cost of SNAP benefits for the first time, with additional penalties for states with the highest payment error rates.
Republicans involved in the negotiations are aware that they may need to retain some version of the cost-sharing provision to achieve the necessary spending cuts while also funding the $60 billion farm bill package in the House version of the bill. The Senate parliamentarian has reportedly signaled that a provision creating a national clearinghouse to tackle duplicate benefits across SNAP, Medicaid, and other programs may be cut, further complicating the budget talks. Jim Justice, a former West Virginia governor, has urged current and future governors to “analyze this very, very, very seriously” and “voice their opinions.”
“Because if you’re asleep at the switch, and you miss what the cost is going to be … you can put a state in a tough spot,” Justice warned. As the budget negotiations continue, it remains uncertain whether the Senate will find a way to mitigate the financial burden on states or if the cost-sharing provision will ultimately become a contentious part of the final legislation. The growing resistance from state leaders highlights the potential political and fiscal challenges the GOP will face as they attempt to balance the demands of the Trump megabill with the realities of state budgets.