In testimony before the House Subcommittee on Nutrition and
Horticulture, Ron Haskins discusses the purposes of the SNAP
program. Chairman Schmidt, Ranking Member Baca, and Members of
the Subcommittee: Thanks for inviting me to testify today. It is
a privilege to testify before this important subcommittee on the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), one of the
nation’s most important means-tested programs. In accord with my
discussions with subcommittee staff, I plan to talk about the
purposes of the SNAP program, spending on means-tested programs
in general and SNAP in particular, and ways that spending on the
SNAP program might be reduced. The last section includes a brief
discussion of SNAP work requirements. Purposes of SNAP SNAP
serves three main functions. The first and most important is to
increase the ability of the poor to purchase a nutritionally
adequate, albeit low cost, diet. Except in cases of fraud, the
benefit can only be spent on food by individuals or families
that struggle with