Historic Attack on SNAP: House Budget Plan Endangers Food Security for Millions of Americans

SNAP is the nation's most important anti-hunger program, ensuring more than 40 million people across the U.S. can put food on the table. These proposed changes would put millions at risk of food insecurity and disproportionately harm people with substance use disorders (SUDs), mental health (MH) conditions, and/or arrest and conviction records, as well as their families, who are more likely than the general public to experience food insecurity due to pervasive stigma and discriminatory barriers to life essentials. As an organization that champions the rights of those with SUDs, MH conditions, HIV/AIDS, and/or arrest/conviction records, the Legal Action Center strongly opposes the SNAP funding cuts set forth in the House Agriculture Committee's budget reconciliation text, which, if enacted, would be the largest cuts to the anti-hunger program in its history.

Historically, the federal government has paid 100% of SNAP benefits. For the first time ever, this proposal would shift a portion of SNAP benefit costs to states, many of which are already challenged with budget deficits. As states struggle to find the required matching funds, they will be forced to either pull from other state funding buckets (i.e., K-12 education, public safety, etc.) or reduce benefits and/or restrict who can access this lifeline program.

Not only does SNAP improve health outcomes by ensuring families can access the nutritional support they need, it also helps break the cycle of poverty by improving economic outcomes and stimulating local economies through increased spending at grocery stores. Moreover, at a time when the U.S. is still losing nearly 300 people a day to fatal overdose, reducing access to SNAP benefits will be particularly damaging for people with SUDs by undermining their ability to manage their health, enter treatment, and maintain recovery.

While there is little to no data that suggests work requirements have a positive impact on long-term sustainable employment, research does show that work requirements may cause more than half of adult SNAP recipients to lose their benefits, drastically increasing their risk of food insecurity. Further, research substantiates that harsher policies for ABAWDs (able-bodied adults without dependents) do not increase employment or earning rates, and have caused more than 33% of SNAP recipients in this category to lose their access to nutritional support. Also, due to systemic racism and discrimination, Black adults are disproportionately harmed by SNAP work requirements, with research showing nearly a quarter of Black SNAP recipients (23%) losing access to food assistance compared to 16% of white recipients. This proposal's expansion of existing work requirements to older individuals and reduction of states' ability to request exemptions will only exacerbate existing disparities and yield heightened food insecurity across the country.

Bottom line: SNAP was created to ensure people can put food on the table, including during periods of unemployment or income instability. These proposed cuts contradict the intended purpose of the program and will put American lives at risk. And those struggling with MH and SUD, justice-impacted individuals, older adults, immigrant families, and people with disabilities all stand to suffer disproportionately if this proposal passes. The Legal Action Center strongly urges lawmakers to prioritize the well-being of their constituents by rejecting this destructive proposal and protecting this critical program.

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Media Contact:
Arianne Keegan
Director of Communications, Legal Action Center
communications@lac.org
(212) 243-1313

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