How SNAP cuts could hit Colorado
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Around 27,000 Coloradans are at risk of losing at least some food assistance due to President Trump's newly signed megabill, per estimates from the left-leaning Center on Policy and Budget Priorities.
Why it matters: It's a historic cut to the social safety net that Republicans claim weeds out waste, fraud and abuse. But experts warn the move could leave more people hungry and uninsured.
The big picture: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), often called food stamps, helps low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities buy groceries.
By the numbers: More than 617,000 Coloradans, about 10% of the state, were enrolled in SNAP as of March 2025, per federal data.
- About 43% of Colorado SNAP households have children, Feeding America figures show.
What they're saying: Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and local advocates say the funding cuts will be devastating for local families and strain an already-stressed state budget.
Context: Trump's signature policy bill adjusts work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the country's largest nutrition assistance program.
- It will also force some states to shoulder more benefit costs, the rate of which would be set by a state's percent of erroneous payments. Benefits are currently 100% federally funded, though states share administrative costs.
Zoom in: The Boulder County Commissioners released a statement saying the bill would have "devastating consequences" especially for communities of color.
- "It prevents people from receiving necessary health care; it reduces support for low and moderate income families; and it guarantees that more people will go hungry," the statement read.
- The commissioners said Colorado is already facing a significant fiscal deficit that will require a reduction in other state services to prevent people from going hungry.