Statement attributed to Vince Hall, Chief Government Relations Officer
“It is encouraging that Congress and the White House have reached an agreement to raise the debt limit and avoid a default. However, we are deeply disappointed that the final legislation includes provisions that will almost certainly increase food insecurity among older adults.
“The compromise provisions are less severe than those in the debt limit bill passed by the House in April, but the federal government should be strengthening our nation’s food assistance programs, not making them more difficult to access. The agreement puts food assistance at risk for hundreds of thousands of older adults ages 50 to 54 who will be subject to new time limits on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Studies have shown that this approach fails to increase employment and earnings but succeeds in taking food away from people. At the same time, the agreement includes time-limit exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness and youth aging out of foster care—an improvement to current SNAP policies. These new exemptions will help targeted populations, but they should not come as part of a package that will restrict food assistance for other people.
“Everyone needs nutritious food to thrive, but recent Feeding America research shows people are experiencing food insecurity in every county and congressional district in the U.S.
“Food banks will continue to do all they can to support their communities, but food banks across the country are already running low on food. Feeding America urges the White House and Congress to take additional steps to help the charitable food system access the resources needed to meet the growing demand for food assistance.”
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About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.3 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
