Today, House Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN-02) released the following statement in response to the House Republicans’ budget resolution which appears to call for $230 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“A bipartisan farm bill has always been a coalition between the farmers who produce the food and Americans who need a helping hand. Today, it appears House Republicans are proposing to cut funding for hungry children, seniors and veterans to help partially pay for their tax bill.

“Taking $230 billion out of the food economy hurts the farmers who grow our food, the truckers who move it, the processors who package it and the grocery stores that sell it. Cutting farm bill nutrition programs does not make life affordable for everyday people. Instead of cutting SNAP to pay for handouts to wealthy donors, Republicans should prioritize helping working people and rural economies. Farmers and families are tightening their belts to make ends meet and cutting critical aid to our neighbors during a time of increased prices is not the answer.

“If my Republican colleagues move forward with this plan, it will certainly make getting a bipartisan farm bill across the finish line more difficult.” 

Background

• $230 billion in cuts aligns with the most recent estimate from the Congressional Budget Office for rolling back the 2021 Thrifty Food Plan reevaluation and preventing any future Thrifty Food Plan reevaluations from increasing benefits. This would mean that low-income Americans depending on the program would see a substantial benefit cut right away, and lower benefits moving forward.
  
• A $230 billion cut to SNAP benefits would slash food assistance to families in need by approximately 23 percent, making it more difficult for them to afford food when food inflation is worsening.
  
• 42 million Americans rely on SNAP to put food on their tables each month, and each dollar spent generates $1.50 in economic activity.
  
• In 2020 alone, spending for SNAP created nearly 45,000 jobs in supporting industries including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and municipal services, and nearly 200,000 U.S. grocery industry jobs earning more than $6.7 billion in wages.
  
• SNAP is a critical tool for reducing rural poverty, according to an analysis by the American Enterprise Institute, and rural communities participate in SNAP at higher rates than urban communities.