Pierce letter: Food stamps

Many Idahoans and Americans are feeling left out of America’s economic prosperity. So why would Congress be gearing up to make things worse for people struggling to make ends meet? The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) helps hardworking families, including approximately 214,000 Idahoans, put food on the table. The Republican plan called “A Better Way” released earlier this year would gut the program by converting it to a “block grant.” This will result in hungry children and families being turned away. That is not a better way for Idahoans. Currently 1 in 6 (15.6 percent) Idaho residents are food insecure and 1 in 5 of Idaho’s children are food insecure. Yes, 83,110 children in Idaho will only get hungrier with “A Better Way” block grant. SNAP and other nutrition programs have been shown time and again to have remarkable effects on the well-being of children. Congress, including Idaho’s congressional delegation, should reject any proposals to cut or restructure SNAP and other nutrition programs. We need to build on the success of these programs instead of dismantling them. Call your representative and ask him to protect safety net programs.

This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 11:38 PM with the headline "Pierce letter: Food stamps."