From the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC):
President Obama’s FY2014 Budget Supports Nutrition Programs; Includes Continued ARRA Boost
Washington, D.C. – April 10, 2013 – With nearly one in five Americans saying they struggle to afford enough food for their households, President Barack Obama’s FY2014 budget, released today, protects and proposes to further strengthen federal nutrition programs. He proposes to restore a cut to monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) benefits made in 2010 and scheduled to take place this November.
“President Obama’s budget recognizes the crucial role the federal nutrition programs play in helping low-income people afford and access healthy food. By proposing to restore the SNAP benefit cuts, and in his budget for nutrition generally, he is assuring that the programs continue their successes in reducing hunger and poverty, boosting health and learning, and providing a base for early childhood developments,” said FRAC President Jim Weill.
“As Congress takes up the Farm Bill, it also must ensure that struggling Americans don’t suffer from mindless deficit reduction. Cutting SNAP benefits and eligibility means less food for low-income people – children, seniors, and working families,” continued Weill. “Fifty million Americans struggle with hunger, and it is time for Members of Congress—a handful from both parties—to stop recycling bad ideas like benefit cuts or structural changes to SNAP. The nation needs to address hunger with the urgency the situation demands. Passing a good Farm Bill that strengthens SNAP is the first step.”
The budget also:
- Supports continued implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.
- Provides funding to support the 9.1 million individuals expected to participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
- Extends permanently improvements in the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit that were passed in the 2009 Recovery Act and continued as part of the January “fiscal cliff” legislation, providing greater income support for low-income working households.
- Provides $3 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), an increase of $450 million from last year’s request to reflect the rising cost of heating oil.
- Addresses food deserts and the lack of healthy, affordable food in communities by providing financing to community development financial institutions, nonprofits, businesses, and public agencies with strategies to address this gap.
- Provides $2 million in funding for the Emerson/Leland Hunger Fellowships.
FRAC will have ongoing analysis of the President’s budget available on its website.
About Us: The Food Research and Action Center (www.frac.org) is the leading national organization working for more effective public and private policies to eradicate domestic hunger and undernutrition. Visit our Web site (www.frac.org) to learn more. Click here to unsubscribe from this e-mail.
