Mike Hayhurst: Food security is on the line. Congress must protect SNAP

By Mike Hayhurst

Every community in Idaho, whether it’s a rural town, a farming valley or a city neighborhood, has something in common: Someone is skipping a meal so their child can eat.

That’s the reality of food insecurity. It’s not always visible, but it’s everywhere.

And for over 130,000 Idahoans, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is the difference between going hungry and making it to the end of the month.

But right now, that lifeline is under serious threat.

Congress is considering proposals that would gut SNAP by up to $300 billion. That’s not just a line in a spreadsheet; it’s a fundamental shift in how we support families in need. These cuts would push new financial burdens onto states like Idaho, requiring us to pay at least 5% of the total SNAP food benefits. That means the state must come up with at least an extra $14 million each year.

And it gets worse. The proposal also includes expanded work requirements, increasing the mandatory work participation age from 54 to 64, and shrinking the definition of a dependent child from 18 to as young as 7 years old. That means more families will lose benefits – not because they don’t need food, but because arbitrary rule changes say they no longer qualify.

Let’s break this down.

If these changes take effect, an Idaho parent working a minimum wage job who has a 9-year-old child could be forced off the program unless they meet new, complex work-reporting requirements, despite already working one or more jobs. A senior who recently turned 60 and can’t find consistent employment in rural Idaho might be told to work more or lose their grocery assistance. These are not people abusing the system. These are people doing their best to get by in a state where food prices are rising, wages often lag inflation, and access to resources is limited by geography.

SNAP is one of the most efficient federal programs we have. For every $1 in benefits issued, $1.50 is returned to the local economy. That money gets spent at grocery stores, farmers markets, and local shops, many of which rely on SNAP customers, especially in rural areas where customers are few and margins are slim. Specifically, SNAP drove total output of $80.4 million in Idaho, across grocery and other retailing industries.

Idaho has always believed in helping neighbors through tough times. SNAP embodies that value by helping people bridge gaps, recover from setbacks, and get back on their feet. While food banks and pantries are doing heroic work, they were never meant to replace federal nutrition programs. SNAP provides nine times more food than the charitable food network distributes each year. Cutting SNAP doesn’t just increase hunger; it overwhelms the very nonprofits people turn to when the system fails.

At its core, food security means more than just having calories to eat. It means having peace of mind if you are a parent knowing you can afford a balanced, nutritious diet that helps your kids grow. It gives you peace of mind that your coworkers can stay focused. And it helps your parents age with dignity.

We urge Idaho’s congressional delegation to reject these harmful proposals and protect SNAP. This is not about politics. It’s about whether our communities have what they need to thrive. Whether families can sit down to dinner without fear. Whether seniors can buy groceries without skipping medications.

Hunger doesn’t wait for the budget to be balanced. Let’s make sure no one in Idaho faces it alone.

Mike Hayhurst has been a board member of the Idaho Foodbank since 2016 and served as the chair of the board in 2020 and 2021. Mike was born and raised in southeast Idaho and graduated from Idaho State University in 1990 with a degree in accounting and has over 30 years of experience in public accounting. He lives in Boise.