Where was she back in July when this was happening!?
Washington State Delegation Blasts Trump Administration Rule that Would Strip Food Assistance Benefits from More than 175,600 Washingtonians
New Trump administration rule would eliminate Washington state’s ability to offer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to more than 60,000 children, 15,000 elderly individuals
Cantwell press released on Sept. 5
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) joined U.S. Representatives Kim Schrier (D-WA, 8th), Adam Smith (D-WA, 9th), Rick Larsen (D-WA, 2nd), Denny Heck (D-WA, 10th), Derek Kilmer (D-WA, 6th), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA, 7th), and Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA, 1st) today to send a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue decrying a proposed Trump administration rule that would severely limit Washington state’s ability to provide vulnerable people and families with food assistance. Specifically, the rule would restrict Washington and other states’ ability to offer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to families with low incomes, placing more than 175,000 Washingtonians in danger of losing food assistance.
“We have heard from leaders of locally-based organizations and faith-based communities across the state that this rule change will only put a greater burden on food banks that are already struggling to meet existing food assistance needs. This rule will undermine low-income families’ health, and jeopardize the food security and development of young and school-aged children. We urge you to consider the harmful impact of this proposed rule and to rescind it as soon as possible,” the delegation wrote.
SNAP is a critical program in Washington state and across the country that helps to reduce food insecurity, improve nutrition, and reduce poverty for low-income people and families. Should the Trump administration rule go into effect, more than 60,000 children and more than 15,000 elderly individuals in Washington state would stand to lose access to this vital assistance. Additionally, more than 15,000 children would lose access to free school lunches they are currently receiving through SNAP.
In addition to the harm it would inflict upon low-income families and individuals across the state, the proposed rule would also negatively impact the state government and economy. According to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Service (DSHS), implementing the changes mandated by the new rule would require the state to hire more than 150 new full-time employees, placing an increased administrative burden upon DSHS and financial burden upon state taxpayers. Finally, by removing 175,600 Washingtonians from the SNAP program, the rule would also inflict harm upon the state’s economy, directly reducing food spending by about $25 million.
Related USDA press release dated 7/ 23/ 19
USDA Proposes to Close SNAP Automatic Eligibility LoopholeWASHINGTON, July 23, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today proposed closing a loophole that allows states to make participants receiving minimal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits automatically eligible to participate in USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The proposed rule published today in the Federal Register would limit SNAP/TANF automatic eligibility to households that receive substantial, ongoing TANF-funded benefits aimed at helping families move towards self-sufficiency. The proposed rule would fix a loophole that has expanded SNAP recipients in some states to include people who receive assistance when they clearly don’t need it. In fact, the depth of this specific flexibility has become so egregious that a millionaire living in Minnesota successfully enrolled in the program simply to highlight the waste of taxpayer money. This proposal gives USDA the ability to save billions of dollars, ensuring nutrition assistance programs are delivered with consistency and integrity to those most in need.
“For too long, this loophole has been used to effectively bypass important eligibility guidelines. Too often, states have misused this flexibility without restraint,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “The American people expect their government to be fair, efficient, and to have integrity – just as they do in their own homes, businesses, and communities. That is why we are changing the rules, preventing abuse of a critical safety net system, so those who need food assistance the most are the only ones who receive it.”
Cantwell Blasts Administration’s Attacks on Science, Calls for Congressional Oversight.
Press release issued 9/ 9/ 19
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released the following statement on the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to undermine science for political reasons:
“Good weather science saves lives. From compromising the spectrum used by weather satellites to political interference with official hurricane advisories, the Trump administration’s attacks on science gets more and more harmful and outrageous every day.
The lives and property of millions of Americans depend on the information provided by the dedicated professionals at NOAA and the National Weather Service. We cannot allow science to be censored by politics or politicians. That’s why I am asking Chairman Wicker to hold a full committee hearing to provide much-needed oversight.”
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WORLD NEWS HEADLINES
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The long Afghan conflict can only be resolved by “direct talks” between its own people, the chief of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) told the Security Council on Tuesday, underscoring that they must be inclusive and represent “the whole spectrum of Afghan society”.
Nicaragua ‘crisis’ still cause for concern amid murder, torture allegations: Bachelet
Nicaragua’s on-going human rights crisis can be resolved peacefully through dialogue, the UN’s top rights official said on Tuesday, before expressing concern about allegations of torture and murder of protesters involved in last year’s anti-Government demonstrations.
One person dies by suicide every 40 seconds: new UN health agency report
Despite progress in national prevention strategies, one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General lamented on Monday, highlighting key findings of the agency’s latest report on global suicide estimates.
Nuclear testing has ‘disastrous consequences’ for people and planet, General Assembly told
Events commemorating the recent International Day against Nuclear Tests serve as an “important and stark reminder…of the disastrous consequences of nuclear testing on human health and the environment”, a top UN official told the General Assembly on Monday.
Political solutions ‘prerequisite to sustainable peace’, Lacroix tells Security Council
While peacekeeping is an “essential tool” for preventing conflict and reducing the risk of relapse, “political solutions are a prerequisite to sustainable peace”, the United Nations peacekeeping chief told the Security Council on Monday.
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IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION
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Senator Murray Announces Major Federal Investments in Affordable Housing for Seattle, Longview.
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President Donald J. Trump Is Protecting The Nation by Modernizing and Expanding Sanctions to Combat Terrorism----White House fact sheet
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Senator Murray Demands Action in the Senate to Address Gun Violence Epidemic: Families in Washington State Have “Had Enough of Just ‘Thoughts and Prayers’”
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USDA to Provide $150 Million to Help Rural Communities Affected by Natural Disasters.
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Cantwell Introduces Legislation to Permanently Protect Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from Oil and Gas Drilling.
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NEWS STORY COMMENTARY
KAMALA HARRIS MISSED OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW LEADERSHIP AT TOWN HALL EVENT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
