Poverty Task Force Chair Barbara Lee Blasts GOP Attack on SNAP Funding
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the Poverty Task Force and senior member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Programs, issued the following statement underscoring the dangerous impacts of the Republican conference's proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
"Our country has a hunger problem. According to the USDA, there are more that 44 million people, including 13 million children, that are struggling with food insecurity in America,” said Congresswoman Lee. “But despite the urgent need to expand nutrition assistance, House Republicans are advancing a draft Farm Bill that would threaten nearly $30 million in SNAP benefits for hungry people across America.
"This is cruel and unacceptable. SNAP has helped millions of American families. It is often the difference between food on the table and a child going to bed hungry. SNAP and the Thrifty Food Plan has improved food security for more that 22 million American households and reduced poverty for more that 2.8 million people, including myself.
"When I was a young single mother raising two sons, I was on public assistance and food stamps, now known as SNAP, which helped my family put food on the table and survive. It is one of the many reasons why I stand in front of you all today because, without it, I would not be where I am today. We must continue investing in programs like SNAP that lift people out of poverty and provide food security for our nation's children and families.”