Monday, April 30, 2018 | 2 a.m.
View more of the Sun's opinion section
View more of the Sun's opinion section
The House Agriculture Committee recently voted out of committee the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, otherwise known as the Farm Bill. The full House is expected to vote on the bill right after the May recess. The bill makes drastic changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) by imposing harsh new work requirements and restricting access to the program, which will leave millions at risk of hunger.
SNAP is the country’s most effective anti-hunger program, helping 1 in 8 Americans afford a basic diet, with most SNAP participants being children, seniors or people with disabilities. Despite providing modest benefits — averaging about $1.40 per person per meal — the program combats food insecurity, alleviates poverty and has long-term positive impacts on health and education.
Having just passed a $1.5 trillion tax cut for America’s wealthiest corporations and families, Congress would now like to help pay for this tax cut by depriving hungry families of food. Is this really who we are as a nation?
