Trump budget would shift huge SNAP costs to Ohio and put Ohioans at risk of going hungry
Posted June 13, 2017 in Press Releases
President Donald Trump’s 2018 budget proposal present’s states with a Sophie’s choice: either carry much of the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program’s (SNAP, previously known as Food Stamps) or make cuts. Trump’s plan threatens SNAP’s extraordinary long-term success in reducing severe hunger and malnutrition, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“This proposal could dramatically increase the number of Ohioans at risk of going hungry,” said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. “In a nation of this much wealth, that would be unconscionable. Ohio’s congressional delegation must reject any proposal that puts Ohioans — including children, seniors, and people with disabilities — at risk of not getting enough to eat.”
Historically, SNAP benefits have been financed with federal funds to ensure that regional disparities in hunger, poverty and resources are properly addressed so struggling households have access to enough food despite where they might live.
The President’s budget would force states to cover 10 percent of SNAP costs beginning in 2020, increasing to 25 percent in 2023 and beyond. Trump wants to cut federal SNAP funding by $116 billion over a decade.
Once the provision takes full effect, Ohio would face approximately $599 million in additional annual costs. Over the full 10 years of the Trump budget, Ohio would face approximately $4.2 billion in additional costs.
“Ohio can’t absorb such large cost shifts without cutting SNAP benefits and taking other steps that could increase hunger and hardship,” said State Policy Fellow Victoria Jackson of Policy Matters Ohio. “Ohioans would face longer, deeper recessions, since SNAP plays a key role in sustaining demand at grocery stores during economic downturns.”
Ohio already struggles to meet existing needs. In the 2018-2019 budget, the state faces a revenue shortfall that Senate President Larry Obhof estimates will surpass $1 billion. Ohio cannot afford paying 25 percent of SNAP costs each year.
Moreover, the new costs are compounded by hundreds of billions of dollars in other cost shifts to states in Trump’s budget. In total, the President’s budget would shift about $453 billion annually to states and localities once the cuts were fully implemented in 2027.
Meanwhile, the President proposes massive tax cuts largely for the wealthy and corporations that would likely cost several trillion dollars over the coming decade.
About the Ohio Association of Foodbanks
The Ohio Association of Foodbanks is Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger, representing Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks and 3,300 member charities including food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. In SFY 2016, the association and its member foodbanks were able to acquire and distribute over 208 million pounds of food and grocery items. The association also serves as the home of The Ohio Benefit Bank and operates the state’s largest navigator program for the Affordable Care Act. Follow the association on Twitter, stay connected on Facebook and visit them on the web atwww.ohiofoodbanks.org.
Contact: Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director for the Ohio Association of Foodbanks at 614-271-4803 (cell) or lisa@ohiofoodbanks.org
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Policy Matters Ohio is a nonprofit, nonpartisan state policy research institute
with offices in Cleveland and Columbus.