WASHINGTON, DC – After the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s partisan bill to cut $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which would deny food assistance to 4 million low-income Americans nationwide, U.S. Senator Jack Reed stated:
 
“Cutting $40 billion in food assistance for poor families isn’t just heartless, it is senseless.  Instead of actually saving money, the GOP plan will cause a spike in hunger, poverty, and public health expenses.  The best way to reduce the need for food assistance is to get our economy growing, but this proposal would actually hurt economic recovery.
 
“I urge House Republicans to snap out of it and start working with Democrats on bipartisan solutions to reduce hunger and create jobs.”
 
Reed noted that SNAP has traditionally been a bipartisan cornerstone of the nation’s safety net and non-partisan economic studies show that every dollar increase in SNAP benefits generates about $1.70 in economic activity. 

The non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) notes that steps have been taken to root out fraud and SNAP payment accuracy is at all-time highs.  CBPP notes “SNAP has one of the most rigorous quality control systems of any public benefit program” and “more than 98 percent of SNAP benefits were issued to eligible households.”
 
Earlier this week, former Senate Leaders Bob Dole and Tom Daschle wrote a bipartisan op-ed urging Congress to ‘Stop playing politics with hunger’ and reject the House Republican plan.