Contact: Christy Felling, 202-320-4483 or cfelling@strength.org
WASHINGTON, July 18 -- This morning, the House Budget Committee unveiled its budget resolution for fiscal year 2018. Among its provisions, the resolution calls for $10 billion in cuts to agriculture programs over the next decade, including recommendations to cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps).
The following is a statement from Share Our Strength Senior Vice President Duke Storen about the impact of this budget resolution:
"This morning, the House Budget Committee released a plan that would substantially cut funding to critical nutrition programs that feed and support low-income individuals, families and children. This is the wrong way to go.
SNAP effectively reduces hunger and lifts children out of poverty. Paying for changes to the tax code that benefit corporations and the wealthy by reducing funding for SNAP is inconsistent with American values and is unacceptable.
Nutrition programs like SNAP do much more than provide food for our nation’s most vulnerable individuals, and research proves it time and again. When children have access to healthy meals they grow up healthier, succeed more in school and are more likely to escape the cycle of poverty. This strengthens our local and national economies and is good for our country.
Despite this strong evidence, SNAP and other anti-poverty programs have been the target of harmful cuts and policy changes for too long. It’s time for our leaders to step up and continue the long-standing bipartisan support for this critical nutrition program by preserving the structure of SNAP and not placing new financial burdens on state governments."
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To speak to Mr. Storen about childhood hunger in America, contact Christy Felling at cfelling@strength.org or 202-320-4483.
ABOUT NO KID HUNGRY
No child should go hungry in America, but 1 in 5 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.