About 14 million children, nearly two-thirds of whom are Black or brown, rely on SNAP’s modest assistance to access a healthy diet. The bill would eliminate future adjustments to SNAP’s Thrifty Food Plan benefit, which the Congressional Budget Office projects will reduce SNAP benefits by $30 billion over ten years. The bill also proposes $500 million in cuts to Summer EBT, which provides grocery benefits to children in low-income families during the summer when schools are closed.
Few federal programs have reduced poverty as effectively as SNAP. A Center on Budget Policies and Priorities analysis found that SNAP kept nearly 8 million people above the poverty line annually before the pandemic, including 3.6 million children. Yet, this proposed bill would neutralize that progress and create one more obstacle to young people living joyful lives.
