DELAURO STATEMENT ON FOOD STAMPS AND THE REPUBLICAN BUDGET

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Ranking Member on the Labor, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement today in response to the Republican budget proposal for fiscal year 2013:

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps, kept more than 5 million people out of poverty in 2010 in addition to feeding millions more who were already below the poverty line. About three-quarters of the families aided by SNAP have children. And more than a quarter of the families include seniors or people with disabilities.

The Republican Budget released today converts SNAP to an inadequate state-by-state block grant. Such a fundamental shift in the program scope and intent would make SNAP unable to react to a changing economy. When economic times are tough, SNAP expands to bring assistance where needed. And as the economy improves, SNAP shrinks in size as families are better able to provide for themselves.

"Right now, due to the crippling economic recession and continued high levels of unemployment, middle-class and working families are working harder than ever to make ends meet. Yet, once again the House Majority is proposing a budget that ends the Medicare guarantee, supports tax breaks for Big Oil and companies that ship jobs overseas and shreds up the social safety net, including attacking the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamps. SNAP is our most important anti-hunger program, with over 46 million Americans in more than 21 million households relying on it to help feed themselves and their families, including millions of children, seniors and people with disabilities. It is shameful that my Republican colleagues are once again choosing to attack a government program that works to keep people from going hungry rather than focusing on what should be our top priority-creating jobs and growing the economy."