The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed legislation last Thursday containing sweeping tax reforms and substantial cuts in federal spending, including in the area of nutrition assistance.
Democratic Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (USVI) shared in a press release that “The $35 billion cut includes a $1 billion decrease in funding for the Nutrition Assistance Program in Puerto Rico despite tremendous efforts and advocacy from their lobbyists, led by Republican Governor, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon and Congressman Pablo Hernandez.”
The bill does not specifically mention Puerto Rico, but there are some changes to U.S. nutrition assistance that could affect Puerto Rico. In particular, the updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, which are regularly made to adjust for the rising costs of food, will change.
Debate regarding alleged cuts to the Puerto Rico’s Nutrition Assistance Program (PAN) prompted Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) Executive Director Gaby Boffelli to affirm that nutrition funds will remain in place for Puerto Rican families.
“From the beginning, our priority has been to ensure that the most vulnerable continue receiving the support they need without interruptions or cuts,” stated the Executive Director. “We cannot create panic. The reality is that nowhere in the reconciliation bill are cuts to PAN stipulated.”
The PRFAA press release further explained that “Puerto Rico has approximately $1.9 billion allocated to the PAN program, which benefits around 1.2 million people. These funds were not affected by the reconciliation process recently approved by the House of Representatives.”
“Although there are provisions related to the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which is used to calculate PAN benefit levels, these adjustments do not imply cuts to the program,” continued the statement. “On the contrary, they ensure that the TFP calculation remains based on specific data and within a neutral budgetary framework, as mandated by federal law. Nothing prevents benefits from being adjusted for inflation.”
On May 29, congressional Democrats pushed back, stating that the House bill would result in an average reduction of benefits of $15 dollars per month by 2034 for each participant in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by 2034 as a result of the cuts to the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), and that cuts to the Thrifty Food Plan would also reduce spending for PAN recipients in Puerto Rico.
What else might affect Puerto Rico?
The entire bill applies to Puerto Rico, just as all federal laws do. If the bill passes the Senate and becomes law, it will affect residents of Puerto Rico just as it affects residents of every state and territory.
Is this current law?
The bill is not yet law.
The bill has passed the House. It has gone to the Senate, which can draft its own bill. Sometimes the Senate version is identical to the House version, but it does not have to be. If there are two different versions, they must be reconciled before the bill can be sent to the president. If the president signs the bill, it will then be law.
Updated on 5/29/25.
