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By Liz Reasoner

In recent weeks, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget bill that would slash $300 billion in food assistance, gutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), eliminating SNAP-Ed (SNAP’s nutrition education component), and shifting billions in new costs to states. Eleven of North Carolina’s 15 House members voted in favor of this bill.

On June 11^th the Senate Agriculture Committee released draft bill language related to SNAP and other issues in its jurisdiction as the first official response to the House-approved version. The draft tracks closely with many of the changes of the House bill, but moderates some of the cuts.

The Senate Agriculture Committee estimates in their draft that their proposal could result in a $211 billion reduction in SNAP over 10 years.

While this is better than the $295 billion proposed in the House bill, it’s still unacceptable to reduce any benefits at a time when our neighbors need it the most. We believe that our neighbors should never have to choose between food and paying for essential medicines, housing, transportation or utilities, and that’s exactly what this bill will achieve if passed.

Let’s be clear: these cuts to SNAP will devastate North Carolina families, farmers and local economies.

Food Bank of the Albemarle’s service area is comprised of 15 rural counties with a total population just short of 300,000. In just one year, we’ve seen the estimated number of food insecure neighbors jump 6.5%, from 43,000 to 46,440 (1 in 6, 15.7% of the population). Food insecurity among children is most alarming, with 23% of our area’s children left without regular meals.

Federal programs like SNAP are successful because they are designed to respond quickly and fairly to need across all states. Shifting benefit costs to states risks creating funding gaps that hurt communities or force cuts to food assistance programs that will imperil neighbors.

This threatens the support that helps 1.4 million people in our state, including 648,000 children and 226,000 seniors, put food on the table. Under this bill, $700 million in costs could be pushed to the state budget annually, and North Carolina cannot make up this increase.

SNAP is an incredibly important program across NC and the 15 counties in rural Northeastern North Carolina that Food Bank of the Albemarle’s network serves.

• Local economies could lose millions in SNAP-driven spending (every SNAP dollar generates up to $1.50).
• For every meal that Food Bank of the Albemarle can provide, SNAP benefits provide 9 meals. A loss of benefits means a loss of meals that we simply cannot match.
• Rural grocery stores may close or reduce service, worsening access in food deserts.
• American farmers, who supply up to 80% of food purchased through SNAP, would face significant economic harm.

Supporters of the House bill claim these cuts are needed to reduce fraud or prevent “able-bodied people who don’t want to work” from abusing the system. These are inflammatory distractions from reality.

The truth is that most SNAP recipients are children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and working families.

SNAP is one of the most effective tools we have to improve health and economic stability:

• Children in SNAP households are more likely to graduate and grow up healthier.
• Older adults on SNAP are hospitalized less and stay independent longer.
• Families facing emergencies—medical, job loss, or caregiving—use SNAP to bridge the gap and recover.

SNAP allows our neighbors to not have to choose between putting food on the table or paying for medication, or putting food on the table and paying rent. The loss of SNAP benefits will be devastating for all the communities we serve, causing unnecessary hardship and potential long-term health issues.

We need all members of Congress to support SNAP and other critical social safety programs: their constituents’ health, family, and future are at stake.

Food Bank of the Albemarle needs everyone in our region to contact Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd immediately. Find resources and take action at: www.afoodbank.org/give-back/advocacy

Ask them to:

• Vote NO on Budget Reconciliation that includes SNAP cuts.
• Reject the elimination of SNAP-Ed.

• Support a smarter, more strategic path forward that balances wise budgeting and thoughtful, fair tax policy – one with integrity with humanity that lifts our communities instead of tearing them down.

Liz Reasoner is executive director of Food Bank of the Albemarle.

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