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The Hill
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Republicans' mega-bill could make Americans hungry again
This is a large country, and people in different states embrace different customs, cultural preferences and political beliefs. But for all our diversity, every person in every state needs to eat. In recognition of this, America has long treated hunger as a national concern. Unfortunately, a little-understood provision in the budget reconciliation legislation speeding through Congress would change that. Within a few years of its passage, we would likely see a significant number of states with no family food assistance program at all for Americans unable to buy enough food. In the middle of the 20th century, the U.S. Department of Agriculture purchased surplus commodities from farms and distributed them to people in need, wherever they were. When this became unworkable, Congress began converting commodity distributions into food stamps that low-income households could spend in regular supermarkets to buy food for their families. President Richard Nixon saw the benefits of this program and pushed through legislation that made the Food Stamp Program nationwide. In the following decades, the Food Stamp Program was expanded to help more of the working poor and reduced when Congress was trying to cut the deficit. Some of its biggest supporters were Republicans like Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.), Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) as well as Rep. Bill Emerson (R-Mo.). As technology advanced, electronic debit cards replaced the old paper food stamps and the program changed its name to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. But even when Congress has felt the need to cut back on food stamps, it has never departed from the principle that hunger is a national concern. Budget cuts that took effect in New York also took effect in Arkansas. The pending reconciliation bill, however, would change that, making it likely that some of the states that most need food assistance would drop out completely. Both the House-passed bill and the one pending in the Senate would, for the first time, require states to contribute to the cost of food assistance benefits. The percentages in the two versions vary, but the hit would be large. If the final legislation requires states to pay 10 percent, the 10-year cost to states would be almost $90 billion. Poorer states would be especially hard-hit: Alabama would have to pay $1.64 billion, Arkansas would need to come up with $521 million and West Virginia would have to find $536 million in its budget. Because the provision prohibits the federal government from paying its share unless the state pays the required amount, states that are unwilling or unable to produce the required match would have to drop out of SNAP altogether. This is a real possibility. The Federal Reserve and many private forecasters are seeing signs that economic growth is slowing, with a full recession a distinct possibility. Even if we avoid a recession, a slowing economy will reduce states' revenues and drive up the number of people losing their jobs and needing food assistance. At a time when states will be cutting important programs and contemplating unwelcome tax increases just to keep their heads above water, few will have room to absorb tens or hundreds of millions of dollars of new costs to maintain existing food assistance programs. Once food assistance ceases to be available in some states for families regardless of need, we will have lost something important about what makes us a country. The consequences will be severe indeed. Copious research shows that children growing up with inadequate diets do worse in school and have lower lifetime earnings. As some states terminate federal food assistance, voices in neighboring states will advocate for dropping the program as well. Members of Congress from states lacking federal family food assistance will have little reason to support funding for a program operating only in other states. The effects will extend well beyond food assistance. SNAP, along with unemployment insurance, is one of our most important 'automatic stabilizers' that puts more money into the economy as the nation tips into a recession. This is crucial because Congress often takes months to enact stimulus legislation — or fails altogether. A shrunken SNAP will mean less effective stimulus to pull the country out of a downturn, and a SNAP that operates only in some states could contribute to an uneven recovery across the country. Indeed, because all states must balance their budgets even in recessions, declining revenues may force some states to drop out of SNAP at the very moment when families most need help and when the economy most needs a boost. No good reason exists for shifting the costs of SNAP benefits to states. States already spend large amounts to meet human needs ignored by the federal government and even more matching federal contributions for efforts such as Medicaid and child care subsidies. States' revenue streams are less efficient and far more vulnerable to regional and national economic downturns. Suddenly increasing states' costs in federal-state programs is precisely the kind of 'unfunded mandate' that prompted congressional Republicans to enact the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act in 1995 and that led Republicans to criticize the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion. Dumping federal fiscal shortfalls on the states is antithetical to the values of federalism. It is a shameful practice contemplated by policymakers lacking the courage to get the federal government's own fiscal house in order. Congress should drop this cost-shifting provision altogether. At a very minimum, it should ensure that the federal share of food assistance benefits remain available even in states that are unwilling or unable to put up hundreds of millions of dollars of their own. David A. Super teaches at Georgetown Law.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
10 States With the Highest Percentage of Families on SNAP
The original Food Stamp Program, created in 1939 by the federal government, was renamed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, in 2008. The program provides government-funded benefits to Americans most in need of food assistance. Currently, there are an estimated 42.1 million Americans who receive SNAP benefits. Find Out: For You: This large percentage of Americans in need of food assistance is essentially a poverty issue, as in America, food is generally readily accessible if you can afford it. Raising the incomes of the impoverished is the best way to provide them with access to healthy and plentiful food, though that's easier said than done. To determine the 10 states with the highest percentage of families on SNAP, GOBankingRates used the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program data tables and the U.S. Census Bureau's American Consumer Survey. Here's the ranking of states with the highest percentage of families on SNAP, presented in reverse order, along with a brief examination of the potential causes and cures for the problem. Total number of people with SNAP: 752,200 Percentage of state residents on SNAP: 15% Percentage of people with income at or below 50% poverty line: 38% Average monthly SNAP benefits per household: $320 Nearly 16% of Alabama's population lives below the poverty line, so it follows that nearly the same percentage of people need food assistance. Each household member on SNAP receives an average daily benefit of $6.31. Total number of people with SNAP: 1.94 million Percentage of state residents on SNAP: 15% Percentage of people with income at or below 50% poverty line: 39% Average monthly SNAP benefits per household: $288 One of the main reasons that Illinois ranks higher than might be expected in terms of SNAP participation is that the state is very effective at getting eligible residents to sign up for the program, with between 95% and 100% of eligible individuals participating. Learn More: Total number of people with SNAP: 2 million Percentage of state residents on SNAP: 15% Percentage of people with income at or below 50% poverty line: 29% Average monthly SNAP benefits per household: $285 Pennsylvania has approximately 12% of its population living below the poverty line and a 17% child poverty rate. Households with children show a monthly average SNAP benefit of $506. Total number of people with SNAP: 277,400 Percentage of state residents on SNAP: 16% Percentage of people with income at or below 50% poverty line: 36% Average monthly SNAP benefits per household: $258 West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the U.S., and this contributes greatly to the above-average SNAP participation rate. More than one in five children in the state lives below the poverty line. The average SNAP benefit for a household with children is $508 per month. Total number of people with SNAP: Percentage of state residents on SNAP: 16% Percentage of people with income at or below 50% poverty line: 31% Average monthly SNAP benefits per household: $274 Massachusetts is one of the wealthiest states in America, but nearly one-quarter of its residents still rely on SNAP. For each household member per day, the average SNAP benefit is $6.44. Total number of people with SNAP: 505,500 Percentage of state residents on SNAP: 16% Percentage of people with income at or below 50% poverty line: 44% Average monthly SNAP benefits per household: $276 It's estimated that Nevada has a poverty rate of 12%. To add to that, the poverty rate for children is 16.6%. The average SNAP benefit for a household with children is $479. Total number of people with SNAP: 686,800 Percentage of state residents on SNAP: 17% Percentage of people with income at or below 50% poverty line: 42% Average monthly SNAP benefits per household: $332 In Oklahoma, more than 66% of SNAP participants are in families with children and more than 42% are in working families. This combination of factors helps keep the SNAP participation rate fairly high. Total number of people with SNAP: 757,700 Percentage of state residents on SNAP: 18% Percentage of people with income at or below 50% poverty line: 35% Average monthly SNAP benefits per household: $247 Unemployment and poverty rates in Oregon are both above the national average, no doubt contributing to the state's high SNAP participation rate. However, the state has also made a significant effort in the past few decades to increase awareness of SNAP benefits, which is likely pumping up numbers as well. Total number of people with SNAP: 847,100 Percentage of state residents on SNAP: 18% Percentage of people with income at or below 50% poverty line: 41% Average monthly SNAP benefits per household: $336 Louisiana has one of the highest poverty rates in the nation, at 18.9%, so it makes sense that the state's SNAP participation rate would be high. This far surpasses the national poverty rate, which is estimated to be about 12.7%. Total number of people with SNAP: 451,200 Percentage of state residents on SNAP: 21% Percentage of people with income at or below 50% poverty line: 44% Average monthly SNAP benefits per household: $307 New Mexico's numbers are likely boosted by the fact that the state pays out benefits to those earning high levels at the federal poverty level, whereas there are more limitations in most states. New Mexico residents can also apply online, which provides greater access to benefits, though that might be subject to change under the Trump administration. John Csiszar contributed to the reporting for this article. Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed recipients of SNAP benefits to find the states with the highest percentages of families utilizing the program. Using data from the US Census American Community Survey, the total population ages 65 and over, household median income and total households were sourced for each state. The cost-of-living indices were sourced from the Missouri Economic and Research Information Center and using the average expenditure costs as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure costs for each state can be calculated. The average single-family home value was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index and by assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage can be calculated. Using the average mortgage and expenditure cost, the total cost of living can be calculated. Using data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' SNAP State-by-State fact sheets, SNAP participation can be analyzed to find the percentages of families receiving SNAP benefits, average amount of SNAP benefits by household members, poverty level of households receiving SNAP benefits, the households dynamic of households that receive SNAP benefits, and average amounts per person. The states were sorted to show the highest percentage of recipients who receive SNAP benefits. All data was collected on and is up to date as of May 20th, 2025. More From GOBankingRates 10 Unreliable SUVs To Stay Away From Buying This article originally appeared on 10 States With the Highest Percentage of Families on SNAP
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Texas man pleads guilty to SNAP benefits fraud
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – A Texas man pled guilty in federal court to stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits intended for low-income families. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi said Adrian Hill, 44, of Dallas, unlawfully acquired and used more than $210,600 in SNAP benefits from August 2022 through November 2023. Hattiesburg man pleads guilty to SNAP benefits fraud According to court documents and statements made in court, Adrian Hill, 44, of Dallas, Texas unlawfully acquired and used more than $210,600 in SNAP benefits from approximately August 2022 through November 2023. Lemon said Hill admitted to selling the benefits to others and using them for himself. SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federally funded, national benefit program to help qualifying low- and middle-income families buy food, thus reducing hunger. Hill is scheduled to be sentenced on August 29, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General is investigating the case. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Harrisburg store owner, employee sentenced for defrauding $1 million in SNAP $1 benefits
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM)– A Harrisburg couple was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for defrauding the United States of over $1 million in benefits through the federal Food Stamp Program. The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said former husband and wife Mervat Gharib, 60, and Adam Rashwan, 63, will spend 21 months in prison for defrauding SNAP. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now At the time, Gharib, the listed owner of Capital City Family Market at 2000 North 6th Street in Harrisburg, and Rashwan, a store employee, allowed customers to exchange SNAP benefits for cash. SNAP Benefits are not allowed to be lawfully exchanged for cash. Between November 2016 and July 2021, the store experienced multiple undercover transactions in which SNAP benefits were exchanged for money. The U.S. Attorney's office said the investigation determined the store received $1,806,761 in SNAP benefits. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The U.S. Attorney's office said the former couple was ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution. The store has since been closed. The case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture Office ofInspector General – Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
