Ohio food assistance at risk under Trump's "big, beautiful bill"
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President Trump's massive tax and spending bill could have a dire impact on food and health benefits for low-income Ohioans.
Why it matters: It's a historic cut to the social safety net, which Republicans claim will weed out waste, fraud and abuse. But others warn the move could leave more people hungry and uninsured.
The big picture: The "Big Beautiful Bill," signed July 4, reduces federal funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly called "food stamps") and Medicaid, which support low-income Americans.
- Ohio's entire Republican delegation in Congress (two senators and 10 representatives) voted for the bill.
Zoom in: More than 1.4 million Ohioans currently receive SNAP benefits. Benefits are currently 100% federally funded, though states share administrative costs.
- But for the first time, due to the federal cuts, Ohio will need to make up a difference of more than $310 million annually to keep those benefits intact.
- Around half of the state's recipients could be affected, per Urban Institute estimates.
- The shift comes as more U.S. adults report going hungry — and as state lawmakers debate their own benefit changes.
Between the lines: Trump's plan also adjusts SNAP work requirements.
- To keep their benefits, parents of children age 14 or older will have to meet new requirements. The bill also bumps the work requirement age up to 64.
- Currently, requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents apply to those ages 18 to 54.
Additionally, the bill slashes more than $1 trillion from Medicaid, putting health coverage at risk for the 770,000 Ohioans on the state's Medicaid expansion plan, who gained coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
- The state budget Gov. Mike DeWine signed last month included "trigger language" terminating that program once federal-match funding drops below the current 90%.
- There are also concerns about rural hospitals at risk of closure, including 11 in Ohio, according to U.S. Senate Democrats.
What's next: Bill changes will be rolled out over the next few years, with SNAP and Medicaid funding cuts expected in 2028.
Go deeper: 5 under-the-radar pieces of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" that may impact your life, plus which homeowners will see tax breaks under the new law.