Washington state braces for SNAP cuts under Trump spending bill
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The sweeping domestic policy bill President Trump signed last week will cut food assistance for hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians, Gov. Bob Ferguson's office says.
The big picture: The legislation makes deep cuts to the social safety net — including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly known as food stamps) — while extending tax breaks and boosting immigration enforcement.
By the numbers: All told, more than 908,000 people in Washington received SNAP benefits as of March 2025, per federal data. That's about 11% of the state population.
Zoom in: Among other changes, the maximum monthly allotment for Washington's SNAP recipients will drop, falling from $975 to $848 for a family of four, Ferguson said in a news release.
- New work requirements could also cause more than 130,000 Washingtonians to lose their benefits entirely, the Democratic governor said.
What they're saying: "This bill takes food from our most vulnerable Washingtonians to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy," Ferguson said.
The other side: Trump calls the legislation his "big, beautiful bill," and described it last week as "the greatest victory yet" for his administration.
What we're watching: Food banks expect an influx of demand as a result of the SNAP cuts, KING 5 reports.