Lisa Murkowski endorses Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan over Democrat Mary Peltola

[Jack Valentino]

7. Murkowski got some special treatment for Alaska on SNAP,

which helped her justify voting for the big ugly bill.

Can't recall the exact details now, so forgive my use of Google AI to list them--
seems that they can exempt themselves from the "work requirements" among other things:


The special provisions for Alaska (and sometimes Hawaii, by using the phrase "non-contiguous states" ) regarding SNAP included:

Exemption from New Work Requirements: The bill introduced stricter work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) aged 18-64 across most states. However, Alaska was granted an exemption, or "carve-out," allowing it to retain the ability to waive these new work requirements for eligible residents, provided the Secretary of Agriculture found a "good faith effort" to comply with other requirements.

Waivers for Administrative Costs: The bill included a measure to temporarily exempt Alaska from the higher state administrative costs associated with the SNAP program mandated by the legislation. The federal share of administrative costs for other states was reduced from 50% to 25% starting in fiscal year 2027.

Recognition of Subsistence Activities: SNAP benefits in Alaska are uniquely used to help purchase essential hunting and fishing gear for subsistence, a crucial aspect of life in remote communities. The special provisions were designed to maintain flexibility that supports these unique needs, which differ significantly from other states.

While some proposed Alaska-specific benefits, particularly those related to increased federal Medicaid payments and healthcare reimbursements, were removed by the Senate parliamentarian, the core SNAP flexibilities remained in the final version of the bill.