You can’t fix the economy by starving people.
New rules for SNAP (or "food stamps") will leave 5.3 million more people hungry.
The U.S. can afford billions in tax breaks for the rich and trillions for war, but supposedly we have to take food off American tables. Buckle up, readers. 2020 is going to be brutal.
- Amber & Katie
The Trump Administration’s Department of Agriculture has proposed three changes to rules around qualifications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)--or in popular vernacular, food stamps--that could cause more than 5 million Americans to lose benefits.
The first of these rules is slated to go into effect on April 1 of this year, and is expected to cost 700,000 people their SNAP benefits. The program has long had restrictions that limit access to able-bodied adults without children to three months of food assistance unless they work or take training for at least 20 hours per week. However, up until now states could apply for waivers to let hungry people eat if the state’s unemployment rate was over 4.3%. The Trump USDA’s new rules bump the unemployment rate to be able to issue waivers up to 6%, meaning every state except Alaska will lose the ability to issue waivers.
Two rule changes are still pending. One would end “categorical eligibility,” meaning if you qualify for another assistance program, you are automatically enrolled in food stamps. The other pending rule changes formulas for how the costs to heat your home are factored into your income, making those who live in states with harsh winters look as if their income is higher than it is and reducing the benefits for which they’re eligible. Altogether these three rules would impact 5.3 million people.
The rationale for these changes? Today, it’s that the economy is doing so well, there’s no excuse for people not to have a job that puts food on the table. Not too long ago, the claim was that hunger would be a powerful motivator for Americans to get back to work after the recession (...to magically fix the economy Wall Street broke.) And then there is the classic: blatant disregard for people living in poverty.
Of course, no one actually expects the folks who lose their SNAP benefits to miraculously get jobs that pay enough to cover both rent and food. Half of all Americans work in low-wage jobs with a median annual income of $18,000. Food pantries and other charities that help feed the 41 million Americans who face food insecurity--11 million of whom are children-- are bracing for a massive influx in demand, for which they are woefully unprepared to meet. The truth of the matter is that people will simply go hungry.
Fortunately there is a bill proposed in Congress to fight these changes. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), and Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) introduced the “Protect SNAP Act” (H.R. 5349) to block the implementation of the new rules.
“President Trump is cutting off a vital lifeline and rigging SNAP against the very people who the program was created to help,” DeLauro said in a press release. “People who are food insecure deserve access to food, not further stigmatization. The USDA’s own data continues to show that the vast majority of SNAP recipients who can work do. Make no mistake: this rule will weaken our country’s safety net by taking away food from hundreds of thousands of people.”
Call your Representative and ask them to support H.R. 5349, also known as the Protect SNAP Benefits proposal. Hit them up on Resistbot, too.
After you call your Representative, post on social media asking your friends and family to contact their representatives, too. Use the hashtag #ProtectSNAP.
Equip yourself to shut down nonsense comments by reading Why Trump’s new food stamp rule is about cruelty, not responsibility. It provides a brief history of the SNAP program and the decades-long fight to ensure no American goes hungry, and makes clear why trying to counteract a widespread economic problem through punitive individual measures is futile. You can also follow @lindsaydamaral, the author, on Twitter.
Support Feeding America, a non-profit that combats hunger. You can donate, read their blog, and give them a follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Learn the facts about SNAP in your state with this dashboard from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Reach out to your local food bank to find out what they need. Since the answer is probably cash, host a virtual fundraiser using Feeding America’s ready-made platform!
Are you on NextDoor or neighborhood listserv? Consider posting a brief blurb with your area food bank’s info and maybe an offer to collect items on your porch.
Consider also volunteering your time at your food bank. Volunteerism tends to drop off after the holidays. Bring your friend, kid, Girl Scout Troop, or work team.
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References
Nearly 700,000 Americans Could Lose Food Stamps Under Trump Administration Plan | CBS News
Nearly 700,000 SNAP Recipients Could Lose Benefits Under New Trump Rule | NPR
Total Trump Food-stamp Cuts Could Hit Up To 5.3 Million Households | CBS News
41 Million People in the United States Face Hunger | Feeding America
Kids In America Are Hungry | No Kid Hungry
Here’s What Trump’s SNAP Cuts Will Really Do | Mother Jones
'A Terrible Time To Be Poor': Cuts To SNAP Benefits Will Hit 700,000 Hungry Americans | USA Today
Turns Out That Feeding People Might Help Them Not Die | HuffPo
Trump's Food Stamp Cuts Begin Soon – And Black Americans To Be Hardest Hit | The Guardian
The SNAP Rule Will Cause More Hunger Than We Can Handle | The New York Times
The Trump administration plays the perfect Grinch with its new food stamp rule | The Washington Post
How Cutting Food Stamps Can Add Costs Elsewhere | The New York Times
New SNAP Rule Impacts College Students By Limiting Benefits And Adding Confusion | NPR
Blog: SNAP Under Threat | CLASP
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