{"id":7820,"date":"2019-09-21T12:14:46","date_gmt":"2019-09-21T16:14:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.suitupmaine.org\/?p=7820"},"modified":"2019-10-05T19:14:37","modified_gmt":"2019-10-05T23:14:37","slug":"save-snap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.suitupmaine.org\/save-snap\/","title":{"rendered":"SAVE SNAP: Oppose Trump\u2019s cuts to food assistance program"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Trump administration has issued a proposed rule change that would cut food assistance to 3.1 million people\u2014including 44,000 Mainers\u2014and eliminate school meals for 500,000 children. <\/span>Submit a public comment opposing the rule change by September 23 and tell your MoCs to protect vulnerable Mainers.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/h4>\n

THE ISSUE<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Trump administration is once again proposing significant cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to <\/span>40.3 million low-income people<\/span><\/a> each month. Trump has tried to slash funding for SNAP in the federal budget every year since he took office, but Congress has rejected the cuts each time. In July, he released a proposed <\/span>rule change<\/span><\/a> that would allow him to do an end run around Congress to cut food assistance to 3.1 million people\u2014including <\/span>44,000 Mainers<\/span><\/a>\u2014and to eliminate school meals for more than <\/span>500,000 children<\/span><\/a> by ending automatic enrollment of children in SNAP families in free and reduced-cost school meal programs. That automatic sign up is part of <\/span>broad-based category eligibility (BBCE)<\/span><\/a>, a policy that allows states to automatically enroll eligible applicants in SNAP if they qualify for other safety-net programs. BBCE also gives states flexibility to raise SNAP income eligibility limits and remove asset tests so they can provide food assistance to more low-income working families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Maine is one of 42 states and territories that currently utilizes BBCE to tailor SNAP to the state\u2019s individual needs. Trump\u2019s rule would end the BBCE policy.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Maine is <\/span>9th in the nation<\/span><\/a> for food insecurity, with 1 in 5 children and 16% of seniors at risk of hunger. While food insecurity nationwide has been on the decline, hunger in Maine has been on the rise, which a <\/span>2017 study<\/span><\/a> found is due in large part to policies enacted by former Gov. Paul LePage. Sixteen Democratic governors, including Maine\u2019s Janet Mills, signed <\/span>a letter<\/span><\/a> to Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to oppose Trump\u2019s proposed rule.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THE ACTION<\/span><\/h3>\n