Republicans in the House and Senate are proposing to slash more than $230 billion from SNAP and school nutrition programs in order to fund more tax handouts for the wealthy and billion-dollar corporations. But it’s far from a done deal.
SNAP is not only our most effective anti-hunger program, it plays a crucial role in reducing poverty and improving health and economic outcomes. It’s also linked to better education outcomes and self-sufficiency, and plays an important role in supporting rural communities.
SNAP is one of the most cost-effective government programs in existence. Every dollar spent on SNAP generates $1.80 in local communities. Cuts to SNAP and school nutrition programs will have devastating consequences for generations to come.
Individual states currently pay a portion of the cost of administering SNAP, while the federal government pays the actual benefits. Implementing a $230 billion cut could force states to take on a portion of the cost of nutrition benefits for the first time, a radical change in the program that could lead to drastic cuts, increasing wait times for approval for benefits, or put a huge squeeze on states leading to slashed investments in other programs.
Cutting SNAP (and Medicaid, another right-wing target) also makes it harder for eligible families to obtain free or reduced-price school meals, summer food assistance for school-aged children (Summer EBT), and WIC benefits. School meal programs and Summer EBT automatically enroll eligible children using SNAP and Medicaid, while WIC agencies use automated systems to check for SNAP or Medicaid eligibility. In addition, the House Budget Committee has put forth numerous specific budget-cutting proposals, including a $12 billion cut to free school breakfast and lunch programs, affecting 24,000 schools nationwide.
Cutting funding for nutrition programs in order to pay for some of Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax handout―mostly to the wealthy and corporations―is an abomination.
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CHN just released another edition of the Human Needs Report. Read on for a detailed analysis of President Trump’s FY20 budget request, plus the latest on the loss of food aid for millions, the Trump emergency declaration, a new bill to protect Dreamers, and more.
The cost of child care is generating an economic and moral crisis within the United States. With yearly prices soaring above the cost of in-state college tuition in 28 states, parents are forced to spend large portions of their income on child care at a time when they have accumulated little wealth.
For the Puerto Rican coastal community of Loiza, the hits just keep coming. First there was Hurricane Irma, which sideswiped the eastern part of the island, where Loiza is located, late at night on Sept. 4, 2017. Not even two weeks later, Hurricane Maria came ashore, scoring an even more direct hit than Irma, and once again, Loiza absorbed the worst of the storm’s fury. Now the community faces a new threat as residents face cuts to their Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
President Trump’s budget for FY 2020 is consistent with his presidency so far. It is all about denying help to those who lack power or wealth and lavishing advantage to those who have both.
Waldemiro Velez Soto of San Juan, Puerto Rico didn’t know his family’s food rations were being cut. Velez Soto and his family survive off of their NAP benefits. (NAP is Puerto Rico’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.) With few jobs available in Puerto Rico, Velez Soto cannot earn enough for him and his family to survive. And based on our conversation, he is not the only Puerto Rican forced to live like this.
A second federal judge blocked the Trump Administration from including a question about citizenship status on the decennial Census, saying, “The inclusion of the citizenship question on the 2020 Census threatens the very foundation of our democratic system.”
A new crisis is sweeping across Puerto Rico. Unlike Hurricanes Maria and Irma, however, this one is entirely man-made. More than one out of every three Puerto Ricans receives benefits from the island’s Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP), the island’s version of SNAP (once known as food stamps). Earlier this month, however, recipients began receiving sharp cuts in benefits because Congress has failed to extend assistance that was first approved as part of post-hurricane recovery.
Upcoming Webinar: The Trump Budget — What You Need to Know Thursday, March 14th 2 P.M. EDT, 1 P.M. CDT, 12 P.M. MDT, 11 A.M. PDT Register Here Even if you can’t attend, you should register to get access to the webinar recording with captions, slides, and follow-up information. Each…
CHN just released another edition of the Human Needs Report. Read on for the latest on early FY20 budget talks, the potential loss of food aid for millions, a blow to low-income consumers, ongoing immigration battles, and more.
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In a letter signed by CHN Executive Director Deborah Weinstein and sent to every member of the U.S. House, CHN this week urged Congress to vote in favor of a resolution to terminate the President’s national emergency declaration regarding the border. This is CHN’s letter.
Today, February 18th, is the last day a millionaire has to pay Social Security taxes this year, while the vast majority of Americans will continue to be taxed for the entirety of the year.