Congress: Don’t Let Trump Stamp Out Benefits for Food Stamp Recipients

Once again our country’s most vulnerable citizens are the target of President Trump’s brutal cuts. This time the it is the 43 million Americans that rely on the SNAP program - formerly known as the US Food Stamp Program - that could be hit hard. The Trump administration is proposing $191 billion dollar in cuts to the program over the next 10 years but what’s more he now wants to charge - read penalize- retailers for accepting the food stamps that often serve as a temporary lifeline for America’s poor.

The proposed fee to SNAP participating retailers could encourage independent and smaller grocers to leave to program. This means that there would be fewer retailers available to SNAP participants, many of whom already live in food deserts. For example, the National Association of Travel Plazas and Truckstops has come out against the president’s plan because, while most city dwellers view truckstops as a place to grab a quick snack, for many of the rural poor it is the only place to shop and get sustenance.

What’s more, those fees will likely be passed on to you, the everyday shopper, whether or not you are a food stamp recipient. The SNAP program is a vital safety net for those in need including families with children, the disabled and and the elderly. Instead of weakening it, our government should be making it stronger to make sure no one falls through the cracks and goes hungry.

Tell the President to stop playing games with the poor. Sign this petition and tell him to drop his proposed fee on retailers that accept food stamps.