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Rep. Waters: Trump’s Food Stamp Cuts are Heartless

July 26, 2019

Rep. Waters: Trump's Food Stamp Cuts are Heartless

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, announced her strong opposition to the Trump administration's proposed rule that would eliminate broad-based categorical eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as Food Stamps. She issued the following statement:

"Donald Trump never misses an opportunity to be cruel to working families. The Trump administration's proposed Food Stamp rule would kick 3 million Americans off of this vital nutrition program, including seniors, veterans, children, and people with disabilities. To add insult to injury, it would make hundreds of thousands of children ineligible for free school meals, leaving them hungry in their classrooms.

"Trump's callous rule eliminates the flexibility that allows states like California to make accessing Food Stamps easier for seniors and other low-income Americans with high living costs, such as housing, medical expenses, and child care. In doing so, the rule removes a critical option that is used by 43 states – 12 of which have Republican governors – to make their Food Stamp programs less bureaucratic, more efficient, and more responsive to the needs of local families.

"Many American seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities depend upon Food Stamps for the nutritious food they need to keep them alive and healthy. Without Food Stamps, many Californians will not have enough nutritious food to last them through each month.

"Trump's heartless Food Stamp cuts will hurt some of the most vulnerable people in America. Rest assured, I will continue to do all that I can to protect this vital program."

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