Whitmer says nearly 1.5 million Michiganders at risk because of potential cuts to SNAP, Medicaid
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer claims the federal budget plan currently moving through Congress will cost Michiganders $900 million in benefits through food assistance, Medicaid and other programs.
She called upon Michigan's Congressional delegation to look out for those who would most notice the financial impact, citing data from a Michigan State Budget Office report on how many Michiganders could be impacted and who they are.
The SBO's memo relates that nearly 15% of Michiganders, or almost 1.5 million people, receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. More than 59% are families with children, 39% are families with members who are older adults or are disabled, and 41,000 are veterans, around 10% of our total veteran population.
SNAP is the program formerly known as food stamps. These days, the benefits are handled through the Michigan Bridge Card, an Electric Benefits Transfer system.
As a related matter, the SBO said 67% of SNAP recipients are covered by Medicaid, meaning some budget cuts under deliberation by Congress could threaten both the health care and food access of nearly 950,000 Michiganders.
"They're jamming these cuts into a bill that also guts Medicaid, terminating health care for millions of our most vulnerable friends, family, and neighbors while jacking up costs on everyone," the governor said about the budget bill. "That's unacceptable. We should be making it easier for families to afford the essentials, like food and health care, not harder."
Nonprofits and charities that can help fill the gap would notice the strain, said Ken Estelle, President and CEO of Feeding America West Michigan. Reducing SNAP benefits and/or increasing the eligibility requirements would send more people in the direction of a food bank.
"We have experienced very high levels of need for food assistance for the past several years, and the potential increase in need because of these budget cuts could well exceed our ability to provide food to everyone in need," Estelle said.
Pastor Richard R. White III, president of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit & Vicinity, also said he has concerns.
"For those we serve, who already struggle to put food on the table, this is not just a policy decision — it is a moral failure."
Arguments in favor of funding the SNAP program, Whitmer's statement said, include the fact that EBT cards are accepted for payment at 9,800 locations across the state, supporting retail jobs and local economies.
The governor said that most working-age adults who receive SNAP are supplementing low-paying jobs with inconsistent hours or are temporarily out of work.
Pregnant mothers who have access to food benefits benefit from fewer missed days of work and healthier birthweight. And seniors who use SNAP are less likely to need hospitalization, less likely to be admitted to a nursing home, and more likely to use their prescribed medications.
