Future of SNAP
This week a Congressional Committee heard testimony on the future of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP.
SNAP is the largest food nutrition assistance program in the country, helping more than 40 million Americans get the help they need to put healthy food on the table. But recently there have been questions raised about what types of foods will be covered with SNAP benefits, and where the program will get its funding.
During Tuesday's hearing Rep. James McGovern (D-Massachusetts), said "with regard to SNAP, don't screw around with the program – period." McGovern also warned about the future of the 2018 Farm Bill if nutrition is taken out of the legislation. The country's largest nutrition assistance program could undergo big changes. Recently, a Congressional Committee heard testimony on the future of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP. SNAP helps more than 40 million Americans get the help they need to put healthy food on the table. But recently there have been questions raised about what types of foods will be covered with SNAP benefits, and where the program will get its funding. During the hearing, Rep. James McGovern (D-Massachusetts), said "with regard to SNAP, don't screw around with the program – period." McGovern also warned about the future of the 2018 Farm Bill if nutrition is taken out of the legislation.
Here is Dr. Craig Gundersen, Endowed Prof. in agricultural strategy in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois: There are two main areas where they are trying to make changes to SNAP. The first is that there has been some talk about bloc granting SNAP. Instead of having it be an entitlement program like it is now, it's just giving states a fixed amount of money that they can spend whichever way they like to address the goals of SNAP. the problem is with the suggestion is that During bad economic times we find that generally the bloc granted programs do not increase their funding as needed.
