Overview

• MacDonough ruled that the proposal to shift up to 15% of SNAP costs onto states violated the Senate’s Byrd Rule and had to be removed from the reconciliation package.
• The Senate draft would have required states to cover between 5% and 15% of SNAP benefit costs in 2028 based on their improper payment error rates.
• With almost every state exceeding a 6% error rate, the plan would have imposed significant financial burdens, including an estimated $438 million on North Carolina in 2028.
• The parliamentarian also struck down GOP provisions to bar noncitizen immigrants from SNAP assistance and to extend suspension of permanent price support authority in the farm bill.
• Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican leaders are now seeking backing from moderates such as Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins as the bill moves through negotiations.