Reject SNAP cuts in farm bill, says anti-hunger letter
More than 1,400 groups said in a letter to Congress on Tuesday that they "will oppose any farm bill," including the bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee in May, "which proposes cuts in SNAP, including restricting future Thrifty Food Plan benefit adjustments." Progress on the legislation has been deadlocked for weeks over disagreements on SNAP cuts, climate funding, and higher crop subsidy spending.
USDA updated basis for SNAP calculations without peer review, says GAO report
When the USDA increased SNAP benefits by 21 percent last year, it relied on a re-evaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan that should have been subjected to peer review but was not, said a congressional agency on Wednesday. The Government Accountability Office also said key decisions in the re-evaluation were not adequately explained, analyzed, or documented.
SNAP benefits “fall short,” an increase would improve food security, says think tank
The premiere U.S. anti-hunger program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, fails to assure a healthy diet for millions of low-income Americans, said the think tank Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on Tuesday. Half of all SNAP households “are still food insecure, meaning they …
Slow rise in child nutrition costs, food stamp rolls shrink
The U.S. child nutrition program, due for renewal this year by Congress, will rise in cost by 4 percent annually for the coming decade from the current $21 billion, says CBO. In its annual economic baseline report, CBO says "growth in the number of meals provided and in reimbursement rates will lead to spending increases" for a total cost of $32 billion in 2025. Food prices are projected to rise by 2.7 percent annually in the coming years, a fairly normal rate of food inflation.