Rev. Greenaway: “The Administration is failing a core responsibility of good governance by propping up unnecessary barriers to much-needed assistance.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Natalie Moran
Email: nmoran@nwica.org
WASHINGTON – On December 4, 2019, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), restricting state waivers of the three-month time limit for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). USDA estimates that the final rule will leave nearly 700,000 individuals without access to SNAP.
Rev. Douglas Greenaway, President & CEO of the National WIC Association (NWA), issued the following statement in response:
“In 2018, Congress joined together to pass a bipartisan farm bill that ensured robust access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for good reason: SNAP is an effective intervention to reduce hunger and ensure all families can put food on the table. Since the farm bill passed, USDA has been laser-focused on leveraging administrative authority to roll back access to SNAP. In doing so, the Administration is failing a core responsibility of good governance by propping up unnecessary barriers to much-needed assistance.
“The final rule undermines SNAP’s flexibility to respond to economic downturns by removing state discretion to waive regulatory requirements during periods of high unemployment or in areas affected by a lack of transportation. In a recession, federal programs must have the flexibility to ensure that families are not worried about how to afford to put food on the table. USDA’s own estimates suggest that nearly 700,000 will lose access to SNAP when the rule goes into effect in April 2020. How many will be shut out from food stamps when a recession strikes?
“This rule does not exist in a vacuum. USDA has already put forth two other devastating proposals to cut SNAP benefits and keep families from food assistance – including changes that could leave nearly one million children without access to free school meals. The National WIC Association stands firmly opposed to efforts to undermine the nutrition safety net and urges immediate withdrawal of this rule.”
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