As Senate Republicans advance their sweeping domestic policy package, dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski has emerged in her usual role of hostage-taker, leveraging her position to carve out significant concessions for Alaska.
Among the most consequential are a series of exemptions and grants tied to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), aimed at shielding low-income Alaskans from proposed federal cuts to the food program. SNAP benefits are also known as food stamps, a government subsidy program that allows lower-income Americans free access to food on a sliding scale.
The initial draft of the bill called for states to shoulder a bigger share of SNAP funding, which could have cost Alaska billions in federal assistance.
Under the revised language, Alaska is exempt from those cost-sharing provisions, preserving the state’s current level of federal SNAP support.
The exemption was considered critical by Murkowski, who warned her fellow Republicans that the cost-sharing mandate would devastate a state already struggling with food insecurity, rural isolation, and some of the highest grocery prices in the nation.
Congressman Chip Roy of Texas noted that 60% of Alaska SNAP payments are overpayments. “So instead of fixing the problem and paying their fair share, the Alaska Senators are demanding the taxpayers from other states give them a special grant.”
The bill’s expansion of work requirements for SNAP recipients, raising the age threshold to 64 and including parents of school-age children, will not apply to Alaska.
This carve-out follows weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations, during which Murkowski and fellow Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan lobbied Senate leadership for state-specific exemptions.
To offset any residual fiscal pressure from the SNAP overhaul, Senate GOP leaders introduced new Alaska-targeted SNAP grants.
These grants, which were not included in earlier drafts, are designed to bolster food security infrastructure and delivery in remote communities.
The grants reportedly materialized after sustained pressure from Alaska’s delegation, who emphasized the state’s unique logistical and demographic challenges in providing food aid.
The bill also includes a 25% increase in federal Medicaid matching funds for Alaska, far above what most states receive, along with tax relief for commercial fishers in Western Alaska, tax breaks for whaling captains, and higher Medicare reimbursement rates for select rural healthcare providers.
Murkowski’s role in shaping the final text has drawn both praise and skepticism, as she routinely engages in holding out for concessions from a narrowly divided Senate, where Republicans need her vote.
Murkowski has not formally endorsed the final bill. In a statement, she said she is continuing to review the legislative text and all associated impacts, and has not committed to a yes vote, despite the favorable revisions.
Me thinks the “Princess” has prejudice against the changes as they affect a population that currently is taking advantage.ie: “Able to but not,”
working. Assume her intent is again, the “Bush” population.
“Under the new plan, more people are also required to prove they are working, pursuing an education or are in a training program to qualify for food assistance. Currently, able-bodied adults between the ages of 18 and 54 have to meet these work requirements to get food stamps for more than three months. Under the bill, those requirements would extend up to age 64.
USDA spokesperson previously told Nexstar. Homeless people, veterans, or youth ages 18 to 24 who aged out of foster care are all exempt from these requirements. People who cannot work due to a physical or mental limitation, are pregnant, or have a child 18 or younger living in their home are also exempt.
Cheers
Heineken.
Her Heinous.
They should be honest and name the bill what it is, the Big Beautiful Abortion.
TDS is strong in you & that makes me smile!
Murk plays the hostage game with the US Senate. She needs the Bush and Native vote to win her state under the RCV system. Handouts to her Democrat voters is the only way for her to secure the votes she needs, because smart conservative voters and real Republicans know she has no spine in which to take a decisive position. Her daddy, who gave her the job knew this and probably hoped she would last just long enough in the Senate to come out with some kind of pension and then retire early. Certainly, she wouldn’t be able to practice law, with her skimpy legal education. The Democrats have played her perfectly and only use her for convenience until they can brand one of their own. Alaska is in a terrible position with her and everyone knows it.
Mary, you might also consider that her negotiating will feed people and assist in health care. Regardless of your political haruspicating, these are good things for Alaska. But I wish the Republicans and the Fertility president didn’t hold Alaskans and Americans hostage.
Well Manny, if you don’t get your demands met – the hangry alaskan lefTARDs can eat their aborted preborn children. They sure don’t plan on working.
Since when do I hold the responsibility for ensuring people I have never met get food and healthcare? Are these people directly related to me? Are they close personal friends?
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When I choose to donate to a food bank, or give money to a children’s hospital, it is my choice. What you are pushing for is donations at the barrel of a gun. If I do not want my tax dollars to go for food stamps, well.. bummer, too bad. Leeches like Manny Mullen want it so pay up whether you want to or not.
I lived in AK over 50 yrs … let’s just keep trying to throw more money at the issues ( SNAP, Medicaid , schools ) Never live with in our means or be accountable for ourselves – that would be asking too much ! I’ve done business in Soldotna & Kodiak – live in Anchorage but at 75 am getting tired of Senator M beating the same old drum year after year … Senator Sullivan & Begich continue to keep up the good work – and Gov. Dunlevy 👍…. Guess I should mention Mayor LaFrance for finally addressing the encampments in the east part of town – invade Senator M was unaware of that issue – continue to enjoy DC !
BS pass the bill as it is! No special groups
SNAP and Medicaid very much hurt Alaska! Wages here are no longer high enough to attract people with a strong work ethic. Too many of our workers expect to work only 37.5 hours, and have a huge number of paid holidays PLUS 6 weeks of vacation, because far too many of our workers are employed by state and municipal government. Those who don’t even want to work for government can and do obtain multi-layered taxpayer support. Remember that throughout 2023 and 2024 the federal government, both federal courts and the Biden administration, castigated Alaska state government for not keeping up with new SNAP enrollments even as Alaska Department of Labor economists repeatedly said that there were two vacant jobs for every potential job applicant. The later stat was continually cited by Giessel and Kopp as they tried to create a huge new public employee retirement plan.
SNAP robs Alaskans of independence and self-respect. Government wants everyone to be entirely dependent upon government. That is power, and too many of the people who choose to work for government do so because they want power. The best we can do is alert the congressional delegations from other states that our delegation, Murkowski in particular, are gaming them.
SNAP feeds many of us.
get a job, manny – maybe one that will help you burn off some fat
You have to have a job to get food stamps…
Using tard in a sentence while being uninformed makes the rest of us conservatives look bad man.
Not in Alaska, apparently.
there are many exemptions that can be used to bypass work requirements. Natives use them frequently because their ‘culture’ must be maintained and protected – an activity that identifies as ‘work’ for those grifters. Ask Manny, he can tell you how it’s done.
The bill’s expansion of work requirements for SNAP recipients, raising the age threshold to 64 and including parents of school-age children, will not apply to Alaska.
Did you read the article? Who makes conservatives look bad?
If you need SNAP to get food, that means you are a leech. You are taking the fruits of other people’s labor and returning nothing to them. It is not theft, it is government enforced slavery.
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Here’s a tip. Grow up, get a job, earn your keep. The people paying for your SNAP did, why can’t you?
It is sort of insulting- everyone is expected to work, if able. But not Alaskans. Does Lisa think we are bums?
Buying votes is universal throughout politics.
The politician that gets elected is the one that promises the largest handouts from the public treasury.
Have you looked around Anchorage? I like hobo but bum works as well.
So much for weaning Alaska off the federal monies and grants. They just can’t do it. Meanwhile other states have to suck it up. No wonder deficits just keep accumulating. Maybe if left alone Alaska would fully develop its own economy and the private sector would grow to fill in some of these gaps. But that would be unpopular. It’s really aggravating to watch.
Indeed. Turns out our state has the highest error rate, according to even left-leaning Politico: “The two senators have been especially worried about how the SNAP cost-share plan will impact their home state, which has the highest error payment rate in the country.”
Lisa is aggravating to watch in general. Welfare leach herself trying to buy votes with handouts. She is the bottom of the pit.
Correction: the Big Beautiful Bill is NOT a “domestic policy package” as the first paragraph claims. It is a tax and spending bill. Because of the reconciliation process, which allows only a majority vote and avoids the filibuster, the bill cannot contain any policy changes. It is a funding bill only.
I call it the Vortex of Insanity. SNAP cards are used to purchase unhealthy food products , which are shipped to Bush locations via By- Pass Mail, yet another Federal subsidy. These unhealthy foods include Soda Pop which has High Fructose Corn Syrup. Think rotten teeth, diabetes and obesity. These diet induced health disorders are then treated by Alaska Native Medical.( Federal funded).
Air carriers make out like bandits by shipping the poison to the village, and then transporting the poisoned to the clinic or Hospital.
Why does Lisa want to poison people in the Bush?
MAHA can not happen fast enough!
Are you suggesting that the federal government should determine what we can and cannot eat? That’s communism. That is not freedom and liberty.
To Manny: Communism is the “free’ food giveaway
Freedom & liberty are the rights to earn what you get.
But of course you know that Manny, being a communist yourself.
Exactly! Let’s let the government decide what food people can have, but make them buy it themselves!
“communism is the #autopenJoe regime stealing my wealth and using it to bribe grifter government gangsters and to pump garbage down the gullets of obese illiterates who happily gobble it up because they are thrilled that people who work for a living have to fund their gluttony.
If buy it yourself you can eat what you want, if taxpayers buy it you get what you get.
I do not see Robert’s comment in that way at all.
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Robert says SNAP benefits should not be available for food that is not healthy. High calorie, low nutrition foods should never be purchased with government subsidies. Allowing it is encouraging bad health.
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If you want to live on bad food, get a job and pay for your sodas and frozen pizzas yourself.
Yes Manny. The less junk food people eat, the less retarded they will be and the less they will vote Democrat which means there will be less people like you ruining the country we work hard to build.
When will you get it Manny? You are the problem we are now in the middle of cleaning up.
If you are taking the handout, yes. If should be WIC. No processed food, no beverages of any sort, no candy, cake, cookies.
Yep . Free junk food floods the villages.
People that eat that unhealthy food flood our medical services.
Hopefully RFK can address this issue. People should have to work for that poison imo.
Those that hate work and love the government’s largesse, thank the Republican version of Welfare Queen here!
Between SNAP and BY-PASS Mail Lisa is doing her best to kill off people in Rural Alaska. How is that you ask? Well, it turns out that folks are purchasing lots of soda pop, (full of high fructose corn syrup) and junk food with their SNAP cards. The result is rotten teeth, diabetes and obesity. Many Rural Alaskans are served by Alaska Native Medical which like the SNAP program is a Federal funded entity. The poisoned by SNAP card junk food rural residents are then flown out to a Clinic and or to the Hospital in Anchorage for treatment. This is a vortex of insanity. Stop allowing By-Pass Subsidies for Junk Food! Stop poisoning Alaskans with SNAP cards!
Completely agree. I think the federal government should dictate what kind of food people are allowed to buy. Enough of letting people make the choice themselves!
Her mentor Ted Stevens did the EXACT same thing during President Clinton’s welfare reform.
For clarification I never vote for Lisa, but I always voted for Stevens (in the General election)
All the Medicaid funding drives high prices. As an uninsured person I can fly out of SE AK to WA/ID for a simple ultrasound way cheaper than driving 10 minutes to the one available here. Very likely the equipment here was purchased through grants (government money), many of the facility expenses are subsidized with government money but those moneys don’t benefit everyone just certain people.
People need to work! Sick of all the handouts! People just expect hard working Americans to take care of them. I’m so tired of it!
2 Thessalonians 3:10:
“For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.'” This verse emphasizes the importance of working to provide for oneself and not relying on others.
Just to clarify, red states are the biggest users of SNAP.
States are too large of a geographical area for that tidbit of information to be useful in any way.
What cities, towns, counties are the biggest users, and how do they vote in local, state, and national elections? Examine that data, and you will come to a very different conclusion.
I would bet there are more SNAP recipients in LA or NYC than all of MT, ID and WY combined.
‘https://www.traceone.com/resources/plm-compliance-blog/states-that-depend-most-on-food-assistance
No, look it up.