SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) disbursements increased by billions of dollars during the Biden administration, with total annual spending rising from approximately $60 billion in fiscal year 2019 (pre-pandemic baseline) to a record $119 billion in fiscal year 2022, and remaining elevated at around $100 billion in fiscal year 2024 despite the end of pandemic-era emergency measures.
This represents a net increase exceeding $40 billion annually at its peak, driven by a combination of factors including temporary COVID-19 relief extensions, inflation adjustments, and a permanent 21-27% benefit hike implemented in 2021 via revisions to the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) formula.The TFP update, directed by an executive order from President Biden shortly after taking office, broke from decades of cost-neutral precedent and is projected to add $180-300 billion to SNAP costs over the 2022-2031 period alone, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, Office of Management and Budget, and nonpartisan groups like the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
For context, monthly SNAP spending climbed from about $4.5 billion in late 2019 to nearly $11 billion by late 2022, with the permanent benefit increase contributing roughly $1 billion monthly post-2021.
Overall, the Biden administration's policies locked in SNAP spending about 23-54% higher than pre-Biden projections over the next decade, totaling an estimated $394 billion more from 2025-2034 compared to February 2021 baselines.
Biden's USDA did not reduce other programs or raise revenue to cover it.
The 2021 TFP revision added ~$180–300B over 10 years with no budget offset. It increased spending without corresponding cuts or revenue to pay for it.
The scale and permanence were unprecedented and bypassed Congress on spending decisions.
The U.S. Constitution explicitly gives Congress the sole authority to control federal spending:
Article I, Section 9, Clause 7: "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law."
This is known as the Appropriations Clause or Power of the Purse.