Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
202-640-1118
Statement attributable to Luis Guardia, President, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
WASHINGTON, June 9, 2021 — The Biden administration’s action in withdrawing a Trump administration Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rule preserves SNAP benefits for more than 3 million people in low-income families working their way up the economic ladder and ensures a direct connection to free school meals for the children in their households.
In doing so, the Biden administration has listened to well over 150,000 individuals who had submitted comments in opposition to the proposed cut.
If this rule had been enacted, nearly 1 million children would have been hungry at home and at-risk for hunger at school. Since childhood hunger is linked to academic underperformance, difficulties focusing and concentrating, mental health disorders, and increased behavioral referrals, many schools would have struggled to meet the educational, health, and mental health needs of the students who would have lost SNAP benefits and as a result, automatic access to free school meals.
FRAC applauds this action and stands ready to continue to work with the Biden administration and other policymakers to strengthen SNAP and the rest of the nation’s nutrition safety net.
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The Food Research & Action Center improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit FRAC.org and follow us on Twitter and on Facebook.
