Gleaners warns GOP's deep SNAP cuts would create humanitarian and economic disaster for Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS - The president and CEO of Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana warned on Monday that President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" would create "a needless, self-inflicted humanitarian and economic disaster for Indiana and the country."




The GOP-backed spending bill in question, currently heading to the House for a full vote on Thursday, contains a $300 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade. More than 600,000 Hoosiers rely on the SNAP program to feed themselves and their family.




Gleaners CEO Fred Glass warned this massive cut in federal funding would harm "not only those of us facing hunger, but all Americans."




Rachel West of the Century Foundation said this nearly 30% cut to the program could cost the average Hoosier on SNAP to lose between $110-$120 in monthly benefits, assuming they aren't kicked off the program altogether.




"It's nearly a full week of benefits," West said. "Indiana families are in a worse position than many American families if these benefit cuts go into effect."




But the impact of these cuts would affect all Hoosiers, not just those who rely on SNAP to put food on the table. Without federal backing, the cost of SNAP benefits would be shifted onto the states. This means Indiana would be on the hook to provide $356 million in benefits.




"Assuming the state is unable to take this action, Hoosiers in need will lose access to 133 million meals," Gleaners warned in their statement. "For context, last year Indiana's 11 food banks, all together, provided 108 million meals to Hoosiers facing hunger. Indiana's food banks will simply not be able to replace 133 million meals."




Of the 610,000 Hoosiers who rely on SNAP, roughly 264,000 are children while 82,000 are seniors.




"For many Hoosiers and other Americans, most of whom have jobs to try to make ends meet, SNAP is a key part of them keeping their heads above water," Glass said. "These proposed cuts would not only plunge them deeper into poverty, but create related economic and societal costs for all Americans."




While many Republicans continue to defend cuts to federal programs as "eliminating waste," the Gleaners Food Bank argued otherwise by stating SNAP is "widely recognized as being highly effective and efficient in not only addressing hunger but also generating economic activity."




The Commonwealth Fund evaluated that the $300 billion cut to SNAP funding would have rippling consequences on state economies and lead to a loss of 143,000 jobs and $1.8 billion in lost state and government revenue across the country in just the first year of the decade-long SNAP cuts.




Deep cuts to SNAP are only part of Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill," also included is $800 billion in reduced Medicaid spending, $46.5 billion to revive construction of Trump's border wall and $150 million in new money for the Defense Department.




Hannah Adamson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.





via: https://fox59.com/indiana-news/gleaners-warns-gops-deep-snap-cuts-would-create-humanitarian-and-economic-disaster-for-indiana/