WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, were set to kick 9,000 Coloradans off food benefits on Friday, according to Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen.
HR1, or “The One Big Beautiful Bill,” which was signed into law in July 2025, strips benefits from refugees, asylum seekers, and other non-citizens, even if they have legal immigration status. Those restrictions were then set to take effect Friday.
In Arapahoe County, the county says just over 2,900 residents will lose SNAP benefits, more than any other Colorado county.
This comes as the U.S. House passed the latest Farm Bill on Thursday, cutting $187 billion in SNAP benefits. The bill passed mostly along party lines, 224-220, and now heads to the Senate.
Rep. Pettersen, D-Colo., voted against the bill and spoke out against the large cuts to food assistance for low-income families.
“Families are being squeezed while benefits are being stripped away. This is not government efficiency. This is truly the largest wealth transfer from working families to the wealthiest in the history of the United States,” said Pettersen.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, SNAP participation nationwide has fallen by 3 million people after HR1 was signed into law — mostly due to stricter work requirements.
Changes to SNAP have also placed a greater financial burden on states to cover a larger share of administrative costs and benefits, costing Colorado $180 million more every year, according to the Colorado Fiscal Institute.
Republicans will need Democrats' support in the Senate to pass the Farm Bill. They could adopt the House bill or make changes that will need to go through reconciliation.
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