SNAP Federal Legislation and Policy

House Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Would Cut Nearly 2 Million People Off SNAP

On May 15, the House Agriculture Committee passed its 2013 farm bill. The bill would cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) by almost $21 billion over the next decade, eliminating food assistance to nearly 2 million low-income people, mostly working families with children and senior citizens.

The bill’s SNAP cuts would come on top of an across-the-board reduction in benefits that every SNAP recipient will experience starting November 1, 2013.
 

SNAP Benefits Will Be Cut for All Participants in November 2013

The 2009 Recovery Act's temporary boost to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits is scheduled to end on November 1, 2013, resulting in a benefit cut for every SNAP household. For families of three, the cut likely will be $20 to $25 a month — $240 to $300 a year. That's a serious loss, especially in light of the very low amount of basic SNAP benefits. Without the Recovery Act's boost, SNAP benefits average only about $1.40 per person per meal.

Ryan Budget Would Slash SNAP Funding By $135 Billion Over Ten Years

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget plan includes cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) of $135 billion — almost 18 percent — over the next ten years (2014-2023), which would necessitate ending assistance for millions of low-income families, cutting benefits for millions of such households, or some combination of the two. Chairman Ryan proposed similarly deep SNAP cuts in his last two budgets.

Related:

• Off the Charts: Ryan Budget’s SNAP Cuts Even Deeper Than We Thought
• Greenstein Statement on Chairman Ryan’s Budget Plan
• Commentary: Greenstein on Chairwoman Murray’s Budget Plan