(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the statement below following final approval on a Trump Administration rule that will remove nearly 700,000 people from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“It’s hard to see this as anything but the President being cruel for cruelty’s sake. There is absolutely no reason to deny struggling individuals the food assistance they need. President Trump may not understand how much damage steps like this cause—but I do and I’m not going to stop fighting to get this heartless rule and others like it reversed.”
Cantwell, Murray, Washington State Delegation Denounce Proposed Trump Administration Rule that Would Gut Food Assistance Program in Washington State
New Trump administration rule would significantly reduce Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for more than 350,000 Washington state families
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and U.S. Representatives Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA, 8th), Adam Smith (D-WA, 9th), Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA, 1st), Denny Heck (D-WA, 10th), Derek Kilmer (D-WA, 6th), Rick Larsen (D-WA, 2nd), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA, 7th), yesterday sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, blasting the Trump administration for the third proposed rule this year that would reduce Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for children, families, elderly individuals and more in Washington state and across the country.
This proposed rule would remove states’ flexibility in calculating the gross income of SNAP recipients by setting a single method for calculating Standard Utility Allowances (SUA) under SNAP, which are how states determine the impact of utility costs, such as heating or electricity, on a family or individual’s ability to put food on the table. This change will dramatically reduce the amount of SNAP funding that hundreds of thousands of Washington state families will receive.
“As Members of Congress representing Washington state we share a commitment to guaranteeing that our constituents receive SNAP benefits in accordance with Congressional intent, which is to ensure that low-income people can afford nutritious food and thereby reduce hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and improve child and adult health and employment outcomes,” the Members wrote. “The Proposed Rule… will result in over 350,000 Washington state families seeing a significant reduction in their SNAP benefits.”
The Members continued: “…This rule will hurt Washington state residents, harm public health, and negatively impact local economies.”
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. According to the National Academy of Sciences, SNAP is, “by far the single most important tax and transfer program for reducing deep poverty” in children. However, should the Trump Administration rule go into effect, states would lose the flexibility to consider the impact of utility costs on household income, and instead have to use a nationally-set standard that would effectively lower the value of Washington state’s SUA—leading to more than 350,000 Washington state families having their SNAP benefits reduced, as more than 75% of Washington state SNAP households receive a utility allowance. Moreover, the rule will have a disproportionate impact on Washington state, as the average loss in SNAP funding in Washington state will be $47 per month per household, which is much greater than the national average cut of $32.20 per month.
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’s 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 52 new full-time employees, placing an increased administrative burden upon DSHS and financial burden upon state taxpayers. Finally, by reducing the amount of money available to more than 350,000 Washington state families to spend on food, the rule would also inflict direct harm upon the state’s economy.
The members have vehemently denounced the Trump administration’s previous attempts to reduce SNAP benefits for Washingtonians in need, voicing their opposition to the administration’s proposed Categorical Eligibility rule and Public Charge rule.
USDA Restores Original Intent of SNAP: A Second Chance, Not A Way of Life.
(Washington, D.C., December 4, 2019) – At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced a final rule to move more able-bodied recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) towards self-sufficiency and into employment. The rule restores the system to what Congress intended: assistance through difficult times, not a way of life.
“Americans are generous people who believe it is their responsibility to help their fellow citizens when they encounter a difficult stretch. Government can be a powerful force for good, but government dependency has never been the American dream. We need to encourage people by giving them a helping hand but not allowing it to become an indefinitely giving hand,” said Secretary Perdue. “Now, in the midst of the strongest economy in a generation, we need everyone who can work, to work. This rule lays the groundwork for the expectation that able-bodied Americans re-enter the workforce where there are currently more job openings than people to fill them.”----USDA press release
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