Beginning on Friday, food stamp benefits were cut by $5 billion, impacting millions of families who rely on the help to stay fed. On average, Americans who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to get food stamps will see a monthly loss of $36 from a $275.13 household benefit.
Some Democrats and Republicans have pushed for the cuts in the program for many years, and wanted to see more spent on education funding and school nutrition programs. Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro commented to Huffington Post about the school nutrition bill, saying: “There was no money for [the nutrition bill]. The price of it was $2.2 billion. That came from the food stamp program and all of us here complained. And we were opposed to that but we knew that it was a good first step in getting the Hunger-Free Kids Act.” However, a group of Democratic lawmakers joined a protest on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, insisting that the program go on with full funding.
With the cuts in food stamp benefits, organizations that provide meals to hungry people in cities are expecting to see a huge increase in visitors. President of the Food Bank for New York city, Margaret Purvis, said: “Our members are panicking. We’re telling everyone to make sure that you are prepared for longer lines.” The New York City food bank already supplies around 400,000 meals a day. “This isn’t just a New York issue,” Purvis added. “In the world of hunger relief, food stamps are supposed to be the first line of defense.”
