Media Contact:
Emily Pickren
epickren@frac.org
202-640-1118
Statement attributed to Jim Weill, president, Food Research & Action Center.
WASHINGTON, October 20, 2017 — “The budget resolution passed by the Senate yesterday paves the way for massive tax cuts for the wealthy that will increase inequality and build pressure for years to come to cut the safety net and undermine investments in America’s future. To pay for these tax cuts, the Senate budget resolution assumes a reduction of trillions of dollars for critical programs over the next 10 years, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), low-income tax credits, Medicaid, and programs that assist persons with disabilities. These programs are essential in helping the many people in our country — of all ages, races, ethnicities and life circumstances — who are struggling to make ends meet.
The federal nutrition programs are among the nation’s very best investments. SNAP, for example is the nation’s first line of defense against hunger, and helps put food on the table for more than 41 million low-income people and improves their health, education and economic outcomes. SNAP participation is highest among households in small towns and rural areas.
Hunger anywhere in the U.S., for any group of people, is unacceptable. Rather than tax cuts heavily tilted toward the rich, and a downward path for help to the neediest among us, we need greater investments in proven and effective anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs.”
# # #
The Food Research & Action Center is the leading national nonprofit organization working to eradicate poverty-related hunger and undernutrition in the United States.
