In addition to spending, reforming the SNAP food assistance program could be a problem for Trump's mega bill in the Senate

Senate Republicans are reviewing the House-passed version of the mega bill. While the fiscal issues are expected to be the most debated by senators, there are questions about the changes the current legislation raises about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as Food Stamps, the nation's largest food assistance program. Specifically, some senators fear that the proposed changes would inordinately affect their respective states' accounts.

Central to the House version of SNAP is that it would require states to cover a portion of the benefit costs of the program, which is currently funded entirely by the federal government.

Some senators who were at least hesitant about that were John Boozman (R-AR) and John Hoeven (R-ND). "That’s something that I heard some members voice concern about. So, we’ll need to address that," Boozman, current chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said.

The Arkansas senator remarked that some of his colleagues "want to look specifically at how those particular policies will affect their individual states."

"That’s in the we’ll see category. I’m not sure what’s going to happen with that. We’re going to talk to committee members who can talk to our caucus as a whole," Senator Hoeven told The Hill, adding that the House proposal goes "beyond" what some senators had been looking at for "accountability" efforts.

What is SNAP and how does it work?

The Department of Agriculture (USDA), currently headed by Brooke Rollins, administers the program through the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

The government delivers the money on an electronic card, called EBT, which can only be used to purchase food in supermarkets, other markets and authorized businesses. The amount received by each household depends on some variables such as income and number of members.

Although all of the money invested in the program comes from the federal government, the states administer it locally, either by processing applications, distributing the cards, or determining applicants' eligibility, among other things.