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Today in Congressman Jim McGovern’s (MA-02) #EndHungerNow speech on the House floor, he highlighted the impact of last year’s farm bill on families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) and Low-Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) benefits.

As a result of a policy change to the relationship between SNAP and LIHEAP benefits in the 2014 farm bill, SNAP recipients are seeing their benefits cut. In his speech, Congressman McGovern highlighted the story of Judy Beals, a disabled senior from Belleville, Wisconsin, who saw her SNAP benefit cut from $120 a month to $16 a month. You can read more about her story here.

“The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the change [in last year’s farm bill] would reduce benefits for about 850,000 low-income households by an average of $90 a month in the 14 states and the District of Columbia that took advantage of a state option to link LIHEAP and SNAP,” Congressman McGovern said. “These cuts are much more than just abstract numbers. We’re starting to hear real stories from real people who are seeing their SNAP benefits cut. Hunger is worse because of these cuts.”

“Judy Beals, a disabled senior, from Belleville, Wisconsin…saw her SNAP benefit cut from $120 a month to $16 a month. $16 a month in food assistance. That is unconscionable. How can anyone afford to feed themselves for a month on that? She’s now forced to eat just once a day now that her SNAP benefit has been cut, as she tries to figure out how to pay her other bills,” McGovern added.

“If we make further cuts to SNAP, we will no doubt hear of more stories like Ms. Beals’, where those who are already struggling to put food on their table see their food assistance benefits cut. The bottom line is that we should not be making hunger worse in this country.”

The text of Congressman McGovern’s full floor speech is below. Full video here.

As Prepared For Delivery:

“M. Speaker, last Congress, we passed a new farm bill. As a member of the Agriculture Committee, I couldn’t support it, either in committee or on the House floor. I couldn’t support it because it cut SNAP – the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – our nation’s premier anti-hunger program. I couldn’t support a bill that made hunger worse.

“At the time, members – of both parties – offered many assurances that the changes to SNAP’s relationship with LIHEAP – the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program – wouldn’t hurt SNAP recipients. That the changes were merely “closing a loophole” rather than a true benefit cut.

“I was skeptical of those assurances at the time -- and with good reason. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the change would reduce benefits for about 850,000 low-income households by an average of $90 a month in the 14 states and the District of Columbia that took advantage of a state option to link LIHEAP and SNAP. States chose to use this option to alleviate some of the heartbreaking choices that poor families face. Seniors and the disabled are all too often the ones forced to choose between buying food or heating their homes or paying for their prescriptions.

“Throughout the farm bill process, anti-hunger advocates in “heat and eat” states vigorously opposed the LIHEAP cuts to SNAP, saying that their effects would be much greater than the CBO estimate.

And, I’m sorry to say, they were right.  These cuts are much more than just abstract numbers. We’re starting to hear real stories from real people who are seeing their SNAP benefits cut. Hunger is worse because of these cuts.

“Take Judy Beals, a disabled senior, from Belleville, Wisconsin. Earlier this year, she saw her SNAP benefit cut from $120 a month to $16 a month. Let me repeat that:$16 a month in food assistance. That is unconscionable. How can anyone afford to feed themselves for a month on that?

“Ms. Beals says she’s now forced to eat just once a day now that her SNAP benefit has been cut, as she tries to figure out how to pay her other bills.

“And to add insult to injury, Ms. Beals found out that her SNAP benefit had been cut at the register at the grocery store with a cart full of groceries.

“M. Speaker, Ms. Beals’ story isn’t unique. The Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee estimates that in Wisconsin alone, 255,000 families have seen their SNAP benefits reduced since the LIHEAP cuts went into effect.

“And, we’re hearing similar stories in New Jersey – another state that didn’t extend its “heat and eat” program. The Food Bank of South New Jersey estimates that 160,000 New Jersey residents have lost about $90 a month in SNAP benefits due to the farm bill cut.

“Now to be fair, several states, including my home state of Massachusetts, did the right thing and found a way to make up the money lost by the LIHEAP cut in the farm bill. Republican and Democratic governors stepped up and recognized that those already struggling to put food on the table would be worse off if they didn’t find a way to fix the cut.

“But in those states that didn’t make up the money, we’ll continue to hear stories of people who have seen their SNAP benefit cut.

“M. Speaker, I’m proud to serve on the House Agriculture Committee. Since the beginning of this congress, the Committee has been conducting a “top-to-bottom” review of SNAP. 

“Now, I have no idea where these hearings are going and, once again, we’ve heard assurances that there will be no cuts to SNAP. But color me skeptical.

“I have a sinking feeling in my stomach that these hearings are not leading to a place that is good for millions of struggling Americans.

“SNAP is a good program. It is effective and efficient. SNAP is a program that works.

“Instead of cutting SNAP or making other harmful policy changes, we should be strengthening the program.  Democratic and Republican witnesses alike have testified before the Agriculture Committee that the SNAP benefit is already too low. We’ve heard that the certification and re-certification process is time consuming and onerous, especially for working families.

“We’ve heard that charities alone cannot solve the problem of hunger. Charities do incredible work but they cannot meet the demand for food assistance. They need a strong federal partner.

“We need better coordination among all stakeholders – federal agencies, non-profits, faith-based organizations and businesses – to end hunger. That’s why I’ve been advocating for a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Hunger.  We need a coordinated holistic plan to end hunger now.

“If we make further cuts to SNAP, we will no doubt hear of more stories like Ms. Beals’, where those who are already struggling to put food on their table see their food assistance benefits cut.

“The bottom line is, M. Speaker, that we should not be making hunger worse in this country.”

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