NAHO

STATEMENTOFNATIONALANTI‐HUNGER
ORGANIZATIONS(NAHO)
RegardingtheFY2016BudgetResolutions
Asnationalorganizationscommittedtoendinghungerandreducingpovertyin
thiscountry,wewritetounequivocallyopposebudgetproposalsthatwillhave
theeffectofincreasinghungerandhardshipformillionsofAmericans.
Whilewefocusinthisletterspecificallyonwhyproposalstocutandstructurally
weakentheSupplementalNutritionAssistanceProgram(SNAP)aresoill‐
considered,wealsoopposeproposalsthatwillincreasepoverty,hunger,illhealth
andotherhardshipforlow‐incomepeoplethroughcutstootherprogramsthat
providecriticalsupportandservicestolowincomeindividuals.Harming
programslikeMedicaid,low‐incometaxcredits,childcareandothernutrition
programswillalsoincreasehunger.
ThedraconiancutsandstructuralchangesbeingproposedforSNAPwould
devastateoneofournation’smostsuccessfulandimportantdomesticprograms.
AstheCongressionalBudgetOfficeanalysisreleasedonMarch16thestablishes,
thesetypesofcutstoSNAParelikelytofocusharmonAmerica’slow‐income
households.Millionsofseniors,peoplewithdisabilities,children,veterans,low‐
wageworkers,andpeopleseekingjobswilllikelybeharmediftheprogramis
weakened.
 SNAP:reduceshungerandfoodinsecurity;supportsthenation’sfarms
andregularcommercialfoodoutlets;isafastandeffectiveresponseto
localornationaleconomicdownturnsandtonaturaldisasters;reduces
povertyandliftsfamiliesoutofdeeppoverty;andkeepsthenetworkof
foodbanksandotheremergencyfoodprovidersfrombeingtotally
overwhelmed.
 SNAPiswell‐targeted:92percentofbenefitsgotohouseholdswith
incomesbelowthepovertyline;andoverone‐quarter(29%)of
participantsareinhouseholdsthatincludeseniorcitizensorpeoplewith
disabilities;overtwo‐thirds(70%)areinfamilieswithchildren.Among
SNAPhouseholdswithaworking‐ageadultwhoisn’tdisabled,morethan
80percentworkwhilereceivingSNAPorintheyearbeforeoraftera
typicalmonthreceivingSNAP.ReceiptofSNAPinearlychildhood
improveshighschoolgraduationrates,adultearningsandadulthealth.
ProposalstoharmSNAPanditsrecipientsareinconsistentwithAmerica’svalues
andwithpublicopinion.Effortstoaddresslong‐termfiscalissuesmustbedone
withoutcompromisingthesocialsafetynet,increasinghungerorworsening
poverty.Everymajorbipartisanbudgetcommission(e.g.,Simpson‐Bowles,
Domenici‐Rivlin,GangofSix)hasrecommendedthattheprogramnotbeatarget
forbudgetcuts.
Weurgeyoutorejectabudgetresolutionframeworkthatweakenslow‐income
programslikeSNAP.