“The president’s budget proposal envisions an America in which families would be stripped of their freedom to choose the nutritious foods that are right for their specific needs,” says Shore.
Contacts:
Christy Felling at 202.320.4483 or cfelling@strength.org
02/13/18, Washington, D.C. – The White House released its 2019 budget blueprint yesterday. Along with drastic cuts to health care, education and other programs that help low-income families, it includes a proposal to slash the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by taking the grocery credit away from families and replacing it with pre-boxed portions of government food like shelf-stable milk and peanut butter. The following is a statement from Share Our Strength Executive Chairman Billy Shore about this proposal:
“The president’s budget proposal envisions an America in which families would be stripped of their freedom to choose the nutritious foods that are right for their specific needs. Instead, the government would take over that role, dictating what they ate, when they ate it.
The White House’s ludicrous proposal to replace much of the highly effective SNAP program with boxes of food pre-selected, assembled and shipped by the government may be the greatest example of government intrusion into the lives and livelihoods of American families since the British tax on tea that precipitated the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution.
As recently as the last Congress, a bipartisan commission on hunger (on which I served) unanimously affirmed the effectiveness and efficiency of the SNAP program. This boxed food proposal is more than ineffective, it is silly and dangerous. But we should do more than oppose it. We should instead double down on investments that improve our nation’s health, reduce health care costs, improve educational outcomes and enhance our economic competitiveness.
SNAP works for millions of children, seniors, people with disabilities and working families. Fortunately, a majority of Congress has long recognized this. It’s the same majority that would rather govern than play politics with budgets and with people’s lives. They should ignore the Administration’s political posturing and continue to protect SNAP and respect American families.”
ABOUT NO KID HUNGRY
No child should go hungry in America, but 1 in 6 kids will face hunger this year. Using proven, practical solutions, No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger today by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast, are able to get the nutrition they need during the summertime, and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. When we all work together, we can make sure kids get the healthy food they need. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of national anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength.