Congressman Steven Horsford Joins Congressional Democrats to Oppose Trump Administration Changes in SNAP Eligibility

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) joined his Democratic colleagues in Congress this week to send a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture, opposing changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program proposed by the Trump Administration that would make it harder for families to receive benefits. If enacted, the Trump Administration's own analysis of this rule estimates that 3.1 million people — nearly nine percent of SNAP recipients — would lose their benefits. The Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services estimates that more than 46,000 Nevadans would be negatively impacted by this proposed rule.

"Every day, working parents in Southern Nevada face an unthinkable choice between feeding their families and paying the bills. No parent should be forced to forego food to be able to ensure their children are well-fed and no child should worry about when they will have their next meal," Congressman Horsford said. "Food insecurity is way too common in households throughout Nevada. In a nation where the three wealthiest people own more wealth than the bottom half, increasing the barriers for hungry families is unconscionable, it is unacceptable and it is un-American."

"The Trump Administration's proposal could also strip more than 500,000 children of their eligibility to receive free school meals. Nye County School District has a 100 percent participation rate in the free lunch program with its students and more than 65 percent of children in the Clark County School District receive free and reduced-price meals."

Today, more than 13 million American children live in poverty, more than one in five people experiencing homeless are children, and the United States has the highest youth poverty rate and infant mortality rate among comparable nations. Currently, 84 percent of SNAP benefits go to households with children, seniors, or a person with a disability, and 50 percent of children will receive SNAP at some point in their childhoods. Public comment will be accepted on this proposed rule until September 23, 2019 through https://www.regulations.gov/ by searching for "Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program."