Congressman McGovern: How Can Anyone Eat on $16 a Month?

Press Release

Today in Congressman Jim McGovern's (MA-02) #EndHungerNow speech on the House floor, he highlighted the impact of last year's farm bill on families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) and Low-Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) benefits.

As a result of a policy change to the relationship between SNAP and LIHEAP benefits in the 2014 farm bill, SNAP recipients are seeing their benefits cut. In his speech, Congressman McGovern highlighted the story of Judy Beals, a disabled senior from Belleville, Wisconsin, who saw her SNAP benefit cut from $120 a month to $16 a month.

"The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the change [in last year's farm bill] would reduce benefits for about 850,000 low-income households by an average of $90 a month in the 14 states and the District of Columbia that took advantage of a state option to link LIHEAP and SNAP," Congressman McGovern said. "These cuts are much more than just abstract numbers. We're starting to hear real stories from real people who are seeing their SNAP benefits cut. Hunger is worse because of these cuts."

"Judy Beals, a disabled senior, from Belleville, Wisconsin…saw her SNAP benefit cut from $120 a month to $16 a month. $16 a month in food assistance. That is unconscionable. How can anyone afford to feed themselves for a month on that? She's now forced to eat just once a day now that her SNAP benefit has been cut, as she tries to figure out how to pay her other bills," McGovern added.

"If we make further cuts to SNAP, we will no doubt hear of more stories like Ms. Beals', where those who are already struggling to put food on their table see their food assistance benefits cut. The bottom line is that we should not be making hunger worse in this country."

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