Earlier, we told you about the U.S. House vote to stall cuts to SNAP, the nation’s largest anti-poverty program until after the July recess.
On Thursday, the House members approved a measure that would reduce federal spending on the nation’s largest anti-hunger initiative, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, by more than $40 billion dollars over the next decade. The bill narrowly passed along party lines and would cut food aid to 4 million Americans, about half of whom are children, and create a jumble of administrative red tape that would further make it harder for families to participate in the program.
New Census data shows three years into the national recovery many North Carolinians continue to feel the pinch of the recession. One in five North Carolinians lives in poverty and median household income has dropped below pre-Recession levels. SNAP has responded as intended during periods of job loss and profound economic instability by providing food and improving the economic stability of low income households.
When families fall on tough economic times it is children who suffer, often despite parents’ best efforts to shield their children from financial hardship. Research shows poverty places children at risk for poor nutrition, food insecurity, and unhealthy diets, all of which negatively affect children’s ability to learn and grow.
Stay tuned as we keep you abreast of relevant updates to this issue.