The Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, helps put food on the table
for more than 46 million people every month, which translates into about one in
every seven Americans. The program gives the opportunity for families to
receive monthly benefits that allow them to purchase food they might not
otherwise have the means to afford. 86% of the SNAP recipients are below the
poverty line, and over half of the recipients are children. The food stamp
program was expanded during Obama’s stimulus package, however, there are now
efforts to cut the number of people who would be available to receive food
stamp benefits.
The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted to considerably
cut the spending on the SNAP program by more than $33 billion. This would cut
11% from family’s benefits for an average family of four. The change will not
only eliminate the amount of funding to families, but also make it more
difficult for families to be accepted into the program. The "Ryan budget" would cut $133.5 billion in
funding over the next ten years by creating a block grant system that gives
each state a lump sum amount of funding.
There are many risks involved with
cutting the budget, such as increased number of starvation, homelessness and
decreased number in those who can receive benefits. Eliminating this amount of
funding would put families and their children at risk for not receiving the
nutrition necessary in order to live a healthy lifestyle. In Washington State,
1.1 million people would be affected by the Ryan budget cuts and would decrease
$2.71 billion in funding for the SNAP program. Families who currently receive
help from the SNAP will suffer from not being able to afford food for
their children and other family members.
