12/09/2019
Reps. Fudge, DeLauro, Lee Lead 100 House Dems in Introducing Legislation to Block USDA Rule Kicking People Off SNAP
December 6, 2019
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Reps. Marcia Fudge (OH-11), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), and Barbara Lee (CA-13) led 100 House Democrats in introducing the Protect SNAP Act, legislation to prevent the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) from implementing stricter work requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bill follows USDA’s final rule restricting hundreds of thousands of Able-bodied Adults Without Dependents’ (ABAWDs) access to SNAP—America’s leading anti-hunger program.
“The Administration is callously forging ahead with a rule that would strip critical food assistance from nearly 700,000 of our most vulnerable citizens. Yet, they have not even attempted to determine who ABAWDs are, what hardships they face, or whether jobs are available in areas with high unemployment,” said Congresswoman Fudge. “Though the new policy doesn’t take effect until April of next year, the decision to finalize this rule during the holiday season makes clear that the cruelty is the point. I refuse to stand by while this Administration disregards the will of Congress, and demonizes and devastates hundreds of thousands of people in need. By preventing USDA from implementing this mean-spirited and unlawful rule, the Protect SNAP Act will respect the dignity of hungry people and ensure they can continue to put food on the table.”
“People are going to go hungry because of President Trump and his administration’s cruel new restrictions on SNAP,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “Despite the USDA’s own research showing that the vast majority of SNAP recipients who can work do, President Trump is cutting off a vital lifeline and rigging SNAP against the very people who the program was created to help. That is a betrayal of our nation’s values and the decades bipartisan leadership in support of SNAP. Congress defeated this immoral proposal in last year’s farm bill, and we need to step up again by passing the Protect SNAP Act immediately to reinforce our authority and intent on this issue.”
“Make no mistake: the Trump Administration’s latest work requirement rule will not create jobs or help anyone find work – it’s designed to punish unemployed or underemployed workers for falling on hard times,” said Congresswoman Lee. “What’s more, we know that this rule will disproportionately affect communities of color, rural areas, and other places where good jobs are scarce. We cannot allow Trump to push more families further into poverty, and make it that much harder to climb out. Congress explicitly rejected these ideas in the last Farm Bill, and it’s time to pass the Protect SNAP Act to further safeguard this critical program. No one should be going to bed hungry in the richest nation on earth.”
###