This week, the House of Representatives is expected to consider a bill that would make significant cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP or food stamps. Here’s 5 things we hope that our Representatives will remember as they consider the future of SNAP:
1.) About 1 in 8 Nebraska households is “food insecure” — meaning that they don’t always know where their next meal is coming from.
2.) Nationally and in Nebraska, roughly half of SNAP recipients are kids. Cuts to SNAP will increase child hunger, which we know can have a negative impact on a child’s overall health and education.
3.) SNAP lifted 4 million American families out of poverty in 2012.
4.) SNAP is an economic multiplier. Every $5 in SNAP benefits generates up to $9 in “economic activity” — or money being spent on groceries.
5.) The majority of SNAP recipients are elderly, disabled, or the working poor. SNAP is an important safety net for these families with few other options.
Cuts to SNAP will negatively impact our state’s kids and working families. We hope our Representatives will consider these facts before making cuts to SNAP.
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