“Americans are clear: they oppose these cuts and expect Congress to help end childhood hunger, not set us back by voting for the most extreme cuts to SNAP in history,” said Kelemen.
Contact: Ryan Flaherty, rflaherty@strength.org
WASHINGTON, DC — Both chambers of Congress have now voted to approve a budget bill that includes nearly $200 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bill now goes to the President’s desk where he is expected to sign it into law. The following is a statement from George Kelemen, Senior Vice President for Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign:
"Taking food off the table for families at a time when food costs are already high and continue to rise is unconscionable. We can afford to end hunger in this country, and once again, with these cuts, kids will lose.
“We are disappointed that a majority of our elected officials in Congress stood behind the most extreme cuts to SNAP in history. Nearly 1 in 5 children in our country face hunger and SNAP helps feed nearly 16 million of them. We agree with the 86% of Americans who opposed these cuts because they know SNAP is one of our most powerful tools to fight hunger.
“We appreciate the efforts of lawmakers who have worked tirelessly over the past few months to make improvements and attempt to limit the harm that will result from these policies. Unfortunately, the final outcome is a bill that will push more families into poverty and leave more kids hungry.
“Here are three of the ways families and kids will lose once these cuts to SNAP become law.
“First, this bill targets hard-working parents, seniors and veterans with onerous time limits and red tape, meaning it will be harder for them to put food on the table for their entire families.
“Second, it ensures that in the years to come SNAP’s grocery benefits will not keep up with the needs of the 42 million Americans who participate in the program. Their monthly benefits won’t go as far, and it will be harder for them to make ends meet.
“Third, states will face an unprecedented financial burden, as a substantial portion of the cost of SNAP benefits is shifted to the states. SNAP benefits have always been federally funded, and no state would be able to make this work within their budget–forcing them to cut benefits for families who need it or reduce funding for other programs.
“Many of the same families who will lose access to SNAP will also be struggling with the loss of their healthcare due to the steep Medicaid cuts also included in this disastrous bill. These cuts will not only be devastating to individual families, but the ripple effects will be felt in every community as they impact grocery stores, hospitals and farmers.
“Now as Washington turns its attention to its annual Appropriations process, we will work to make sure all Members of Congress focus on preventing even deeper cuts to our vital nutrition programs including SNAP, school meals, summer programs and WIC. A majority of Americans regardless of political affiliation believe that ending childhood hunger should be a top priority, and we remain committed to making that a reality.”
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.