Press Releases

LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT FOOD STAMPS

Dear Colleague,

Over the past few weeks, the hungry in America have been thrust into the center of our political debate. Unfortunately, the plight of those who struggle to put food on their tables is not being highlighted as a scourge that needs to be ended but, rather, as a political weapon designed to score cheap political points in political arena.

It's one thing to point out the fact that more people are relying on SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps, but it's another to use this fact as a pejorative. The truth is SNAP is a safety-net program designed to prevent people living in America from going without food during difficult economic times. Over the past few years, we have suffered through the worst economy since the Great Depression. As a result, millions of people lost their jobs and millions more saw their wages decrease. As these families saw their wages either decrease or simply go away, they could either make the tough choice between paying their rents and utilities or putting food on their tables. Fortunately for them, SNAP was created to prevent these families from having to make that choice.

Let's be clear - no one wants to be poor. No one wants a handout. I am confident that the vast majority of people on SNAP don't want to be on SNAP. They'd rather provide for their families on their own, without any type of assistance whether it's from the federal government or from their church or other private community organization.

I encourage you to learn the truth about SNAP - that it's a true safety net program that is income based; that people become eligible for SNAP only if their incomes fall below a certain level and that no President can -put- people on SNAP; and that SNAP is not only a anti-hunger program but actually stimulates the economy by a rate of $1.87 for every SNAP dollar spent.

Every day this week, I will circulate fact sheets and news articles that lay out the facts about SNAP. These articles and fact sheets explain what SNAP is and how it works. These articles also discuss why the claims about President Obama being the food stamp president are false and misleading. The first is a simple primer on the program titled -Policy Basics: Introduction to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)- http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=2226.

I encourage you to read these articles and fact sheets. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or want more information about SNAP or other domestic anti-hunger programs.

Sincerely,

James P. McGovern

Member of Congress