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.
On Monday, June 21st, poor people, low-wage workers, moral and faith leaders, advocates and our growing coalition of supporters will gather online simultaneously with a (socially-distant) rally in Raleigh, North Carolina for a National Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers Assembly. The Coalition on Human Needs is proud to support and participate.
More than 140 million people across the United States live in or near poverty, struggle with low wages and are one emergency away from economic ruin. 250,000 people die every year from poverty in the wealthiest nation on the planet.
We can’t be silent anymore in the face of this reality.
The First Reconstruction followed the Civil War. The civil rights struggles of the 20th century proved to be the Second Reconstruction. Our Third Reconstruction will be a revival of our constitutional commitment to establish justice, provide for the general welfare, end decades of austerity, and recognize that policies which center the 140 million people, who struggle financially, are also good economic policies that can heal and transform our nation.
Here’s what we are going to do: This Monday, on June 21st at 5:30 p.m. ET we will gather online from all 50 U.S. states and territories. Together, we will build a strong coalition of people to fight for our country’s Third Reconstruction.
We are already beginning to plan for the Poor People’s Campaign for next year—and Monday’s event is the first public step. Next June’s event will be a generationally-transformative in-person Moral March on Washington on June 18, 2022. Together, next summer, we will flood the streets of Washington, DC and create a national stage for the voices and leadership of people directly impacted by poverty, racism and their interlocking injustices.