Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this week joined a group of 23 governors to urge Congressional leadership to support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that puts food on the table for millions of people across America.
The letter comes in wake of $300 billion dollar cut to SNAP included in the Republican budget bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
“SNAP helps more than 1.4 million Michiganders put food on the table, but the Republican bill will jack up grocery bills for these families and others across the country,” said Whitmer. “As families work hard to pay their bills, take care of their kids, and save for the future, we should make sure they have enough to eat. SNAP cuts will impact people in every county of Michigan, taking money out of their pockets and forcing them to make tough decisions about putting food on the table. Let’s work together to make life more affordable instead of harming families, hurting local grocers, and worsening long-term health outcomes for our kids.”
The letter signed by 23 governors from across the country warns that current proposals in Congress threaten SNAP, which helps people afford groceries. SNAP helps more than 42 million people in the United States buy groceries. Nearly 15% of Michiganders, more than 1.4 million people across every region, receive SNAP benefits. More than 59% are families with children, 39% are families with members who are older adults or are disabled, and 41,000 are veterans.
SNAP is an effective program that has lifted 232,000 people above the poverty line in Michigan, including 101,000 children, Whitmer said. SNAP dollars are spent at approximately 9,800 retail locations across the state, supporting jobs and local economies across the state.
Currently, the federal government pays 100 percent of the food benefit costs and 50 percent of the administrative costs of each state’s SNAP program.
The latest congressional proposals would shift up to 25 percent of the food benefit costs onto states, meaning a new expense of millions — and in some states, billions — of dollars. This shift in costs to the states is unprecedented in SNAP’s 50-year history.
The letter comes in wake of $300 billion dollar cut to SNAP included in the Republican budget bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
“SNAP helps more than 1.4 million Michiganders put food on the table, but the Republican bill will jack up grocery bills for these families and others across the country,” said Whitmer. “As families work hard to pay their bills, take care of their kids, and save for the future, we should make sure they have enough to eat. SNAP cuts will impact people in every county of Michigan, taking money out of their pockets and forcing them to make tough decisions about putting food on the table. Let’s work together to make life more affordable instead of harming families, hurting local grocers, and worsening long-term health outcomes for our kids.”
The letter signed by 23 governors from across the country warns that current proposals in Congress threaten SNAP, which helps people afford groceries. SNAP helps more than 42 million people in the United States buy groceries. Nearly 15% of Michiganders, more than 1.4 million people across every region, receive SNAP benefits. More than 59% are families with children, 39% are families with members who are older adults or are disabled, and 41,000 are veterans.
SNAP is an effective program that has lifted 232,000 people above the poverty line in Michigan, including 101,000 children, Whitmer said. SNAP dollars are spent at approximately 9,800 retail locations across the state, supporting jobs and local economies across the state.
Currently, the federal government pays 100 percent of the food benefit costs and 50 percent of the administrative costs of each state’s SNAP program.
The latest congressional proposals would shift up to 25 percent of the food benefit costs onto states, meaning a new expense of millions — and in some states, billions — of dollars. This shift in costs to the states is unprecedented in SNAP’s 50-year history.
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