Roberts introduces bill to cut SNAP spending; anti-hunger advocates critical
March 05, 2013 | 08:29 PM
Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., today introduced a bill to make changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, that would cut spending on the program by $36 billion over 10 years, but it was immediately criticized by anti-hunger advocates.
Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan.
“Times are tough right now for millions of Americans and government spending is out of control,” Roberts said. “We need to ensure that precious taxpayer dollars are getting to those in the greatest need.”
“This bill is a package of straightforward, commonsense reforms that have garnered bipartisan support in the past to address, waste, fraud and abuse. We can and should restore integrity to SNAP for those who rely on it while being more responsible to the taxpayer — and we can achieve billions in real savings without ever affecting food on the table,” he said.
Roberts said the Congressional Budget Office has determined that his “Improve Nutrition Program Integrity and Deficit Reduction Act” will reduce spending by $36 billion over 10 years.
SNAP, Roberts noted, provided a total of $71.8 billion in food benefits to an average of 44.7 million people per month in fiscal year 2011 and is exempt from the sequester.
Key provisions in the bill include:
Roberts noted in a news release that he has a strong record on domestic and international nutrition programs from his years as House Agriculture Committee chairman and as ranking member on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.
But Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said Roberts’ “proposal to gut SNAP by $36 billion is the wrong bill at the wrong time.”
“SNAP is the among the most effective and efficient federal programs,” McGovern said.
“There is no way to cut $36 billion from this important program without cutting benefits. And by cutting benefits, this bill would literally take food away from people who rely on SNAP to put feed their families. That is unacceptable. We should be looking at constructive ways, like job creation and education, to reduce the reliance on SNAP rather than mean-spirited and arbitrary cuts that will worsen hunger in America.”
Jim Weill
Jim Weill, president of the Food Research Action Center, said Roberts’ bill “is a sweeping compilation of the some of the worst ideas around,” and itemized them:
“Times are tough right now for millions of Americans and government spending is out of control,” Roberts said. “We need to ensure that precious taxpayer dollars are getting to those in the greatest need.”
“This bill is a package of straightforward, commonsense reforms that have garnered bipartisan support in the past to address, waste, fraud and abuse. We can and should restore integrity to SNAP for those who rely on it while being more responsible to the taxpayer — and we can achieve billions in real savings without ever affecting food on the table,” he said.
Roberts said the Congressional Budget Office has determined that his “Improve Nutrition Program Integrity and Deficit Reduction Act” will reduce spending by $36 billion over 10 years.
SNAP, Roberts noted, provided a total of $71.8 billion in food benefits to an average of 44.7 million people per month in fiscal year 2011 and is exempt from the sequester.
Key provisions in the bill include:
- Prohibiting lottery winners from receiving SNAP, saving an undisclosed amount of money.
- Eliminating SNAP bonuses to state governments for signing up more people for SNAP last year and processing applications in a timely fashion, saving $480 million.
- Restricting automatic enrollment in SNAP for beneficiaries of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to those who receive TANF cash assistance, saving $11.5 billion.
- Eliminating the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provision that allows states to boost SNAP participation and benefit levels, saving $12 billion.
- Eliminating employment and training programs that Roberts said allow states to reimburse participant expenses including union dues, test fees, clothing and tools required for the job, relocation, licensing and bonding fees, transportation, and child care, saving $4.4 billion.
- Eliminating the Nutrition Education Grant Program that goes mostly to four states, saving $4.4 billion.
Roberts noted in a news release that he has a strong record on domestic and international nutrition programs from his years as House Agriculture Committee chairman and as ranking member on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
But Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said Roberts’ “proposal to gut SNAP by $36 billion is the wrong bill at the wrong time.”
“SNAP is the among the most effective and efficient federal programs,” McGovern said.
“There is no way to cut $36 billion from this important program without cutting benefits. And by cutting benefits, this bill would literally take food away from people who rely on SNAP to put feed their families. That is unacceptable. We should be looking at constructive ways, like job creation and education, to reduce the reliance on SNAP rather than mean-spirited and arbitrary cuts that will worsen hunger in America.”
Jim Weill, president of the Food Research Action Center, said Roberts’ bill “is a sweeping compilation of the some of the worst ideas around,” and itemized them:
- “Reducing SNAP benefits immediately after the prestigious Institute of Medicine has said that benefits are not enough for most families;
- Targeting that reduction to states where families have the toughest struggle to get enough food and heat;
- Eiminating a state option — chosen by at least 40 states — to adopt smart income and asset rules;
- Eliminating nutrition education in the midst of an obesity epidemic; cutting job training; and discouraging enrollment of needy families and seniors.”
