U.S. House Cuts Food Stamps As Million of Hungry Americans Search for Thanksgiving Meal

CHICAGO, Nov. 18 /U.S. Newswire/ — The U.S. House of Representatives cut the Food Stamp Program today in an effort to reduce the federal deficit, leaving more than 220,000 Americans in search of a meal over the next five years. The $43 billion budget reconciliation comes on the heels of a recent USDA report identifying more than 38 million Americans — including 14 million children — do not know where their next meal will come from.

“Hungry and poor Americans are not responsible for creating the federal deficit, and they should not be asked to pay for it,” said Robert Forney, president and CEO of America’s Second Harvest-The Nation’s Food Bank Network. “We know the demand is growing, and our focus should be on making programs more accessible.”

The budget reconciliation included categorical eligibility changes to the Food Stamp Program that would terminate at least 120,000 people, mostly working families with children, from receiving benefits. Additionally, states continue to have the option to provide free school meals to children in families that would be cut from the Food Stamp Program, but they would be required to adopt new, complicated administrative procedures to enforce this option. History suggests that the additional administrative burdens will deter many states from exercising this option, leaving many children currently receiving free school meals without food.

“We have made great strides at the federal and state levels over the past few years to make the Food Stamp Program more accessible to eligible recipients,” said Forney. “We are now moving in the wrong direction.”

The House budget reconciliation was approved by a slim margin of 217-215. The Senate version of the bill does not cut the Food Stamp Program.

“I hope the outcome of conference preserves critical nutrition programs and gets more food into the hands of people who need it, ensuring none of our neighbors go to bed hungry at night” said Forney.

America’s Second Harvest — The Nation’s Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with a Network of more than 200 Member food banks and food – rescue programs serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The America’s Second Harvest Network secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually; and supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America’s Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 23 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors. For more on America’s Second Harvest, please visit http://www.secondharvest.org.

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