In some towns in our region, one in every three children lives
in a family that struggles to put food on the table. In the wake
of the economic downturn, the social safety net has been the
saving grace for millions of Americans in communities all across
the country. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) in particular has helped over 46 million people meet
their basic food needs, a fact which makes the recent decisions
by the House Agriculture Committee all the more alarming. Last
week, the committee voted to slash the budget for SNAP by more
than $33 billion – a cut that is sure to have widespread
consequences for the millions of households who rely on its
benefits. This devastating reduction in funding is a misguided
attempt at addressing deficit reduction, one that seems to
ignore the true problems and instead chooses to place the burden
of reduced spending on those who are in need of the benefit of
food assistance. A benefit which helps some of the most
vulnerable among us make ends meet. Th