Washington, D.C. — The Trump administration proposed a new rule today that would limit who qualifies for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), thereby cutting benefits to as many as 3 million people.
Kermit Kaleba, managing director of policy at National Skills Coalition, issued the following statement in response:
Our country’s safety net programs should be about improving lives – giving people ladders of opportunity to build the skills they need to access good jobs with good wages. It shouldn’t be about trying to achieve federal budget savings on the backs of millions of people who are trying to put food on the table for themselves and their families.
What the Trump administration should be focused on is strengthening the SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) programs so that people who receive SNAP benefits have access to high-quality education and training opportunities. In an economy where the vast majority of jobs will require some form of postsecondary education, only through dedicated investments in job training and other work supports will we be able to move work-eligible SNAP participants into sustainable, family-supporting careers.
Congress passed bipartisan legislation last year to reauthorize SNAP and SNAP E&T. The Administration should focus on implementing those important changes instead of finding new ways to undermine our most vulnerable populations.
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