Snap Benefits Are Needed By 42 Million Americans

Floor Speech

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Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I will start by thanking Congresswoman Hayes for leading this effort.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 62,000 households in New York's 26th Congressional District that rely on the SNAP program, I rise to urge my colleagues to oppose the changes in the Thrifty Food Plan in the farm bill.

In New York State alone, these cuts would result in the loss of $2 billion in SNAP benefits over 10 years and the loss of over $3.5 billion in total local economic activity.

At a time when overall food insecurity in New York State has increased from 11.4 percent to 13.5 percent and child food insecurity increased from 15.4 percent to 18.8 percent, the absolute last thing we should be doing is cutting SNAP benefits.

These changes to the Thrifty Food Program will negatively impact benefit levels for Summer EBT and funding for food banks. This is simply unacceptable.

Instead, Congress should pass legislation to expand access to SNAP. That is why I cosponsored the Enhanced Access to SNAP Act, which would eliminate work-for-food requirements and expand benefits for millions of college students.

In my district, our primary food bank, FeedMore Western New York, has seen the need for food assistance in the community triple since the pandemic. The number of people served today has already exceeded 10- year growth projections.

As a Nation, we have an obligation to eradicate hunger. This bill will do just the opposite. I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation as written.

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