Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

Trump seeks to cut food stamps, CT Dems push back

  • Politics
  • by Ana Radelat
  • June 27, 2019
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Washington – The Trump administration is moving toward tightening the requirements for food stamps, which could push tens of thousands of low-income Connecticut residents off  the program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to soon propose regulations that would eliminate or reduce the ability of states to distribute food stamps to people earning more than 130 percent of poverty guidelines, which is $33,475 for a family of four.

Currently, some states allow those eligible for food stamps to earn up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, if the recipients are enrolled in another social safety net program.

That policy of “broad based categorical eligibility” for food stamps, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as the program is officially named, allows Connecticut to enroll recipients who earn up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level, or $3,870 per month.

“Some states abuse those guidelines,” said Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., at a House Agriculture subcommittee hearing last week.

According to the Connecticut Department of Social Services, there are 364,000 food stamp recipients in Connecticut, down from the more than 400,000 people enrolled in the program late last year. It’s unclear how many of those people would be affected by a cutback in eligibility, but anti-hunger advocates expect it would be tens of thousands.

“Some states abuse those guidelines.”

U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D

Republicans say the expansion of eligibility in states like Connecticut has opened the door to fraud and abuse of the program and makes it too easy for people to receive benefits that should only go to the truly needy. They pointed to a man from Minnesota who attended last week’s hearing who said he had a net worth of over $1 million and applied for and received food stamps.

Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., said “millions of food stamp recipients” sell their benefits on the street “for 50 cents on the dollar.”

Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5th District, a member of the Agriculture Committee who grew up in Waterbury’s toughest housing project and whose family relied on public assistance, bristled at the notion that there is widespread fraud in the food stamp program.

“I’ve been on the other side of those benefits, so being in this room and in this committee hearing is somewhat personal to me,” Hayes said.

She told of living with her grandmother, who received $68 a month in SNAP benefits, and said she has also relied on food stamps herself.

Hayes said the adults in a family of four would have to work 95 hours a week at Connecticut’s minimum wage of $10.10 an hour to hit the income limit for food stamps.

“I know that because I worked three jobs and still qualified for SNAP benefits because I fell under the threshold,” Hayes said.

“You would receive $642 a month in benefits, which breaks down to about $160 a week for a family of four. That’s $40 per person per week. A gallon of milk is $3.99 in my state. Which means that 10 percent of your weekly SNAP budget would go for a gallon of milk. Nobody is taking advantage of that.”

U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn.

A former history teacher and national Teacher of the Year, Hayes gave Republican colleagues on the agriculture panel a math lesson.

“You would receive $642 a month in benefits, which breaks down to about $160 a week for a family of four. That’s $40 per person per week,” she said. “A gallon of milk is $3.99 in my state. Which means that 10 percent of your weekly SNAP budget would go for a gallon of milk. Nobody is taking advantage of that.”

While SNAP benefits are paid by the federal government and managed by the USDA, states operate the program and are reimbursed for administrative costs.

Robin Lamott Sparks, executive director of End Hunger Connecticut!, said the proposal, and another plan by the Trump administration to change the consumer inflation measure used to determine eligibility for food stamps and other social service programs, would be devastating in places like Connecticut where the cost of living, including the cost of groceries and housing, is high.

“We couldn’t be more disappointed in this because we know it will mean more families and children will be going hungry,” she said. “It is unacceptable in this country.”

Lamott Sparks said there’s an unintended consequence of paring back the food stamp program – thousands of children in the state whose families are cut from the program would lose their free or reduced-price school lunches. In Connecticut, children whose families receive food stamps automatically are eligible for school nutrition assistance programs.

House Republicans tried to cut SNAP last year and force states to impose work requirements on recipients. But the Senate, also under GOP control last year, rejected the proposal.

“We couldn’t be more disappointed in this because we know it will mean more families and children will be going hungry. It is unacceptable in this country.”

Robin Lamott Sparks
Executive Director, End Hunger Connecticut!

Now, with Democratic control of the U.S. House, there is less of a chance for Congress to cut social programs

As a result, the Trump administration, which has asked Congress to cut SNAP by $220 billion, is trying to cut the program through executive authority.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined 20 other Democratic attorneys general in opposing the proposal to change the consumer inflation measure. In a  May 7 announcement, the federal Office of Management and Budget said  it is considering lowering the measure of inflation that is used when adjusting the federal poverty threshold. That threshold determines eligibility for food stamps and a host of other social programs.

The state attorneys general wrote the OMB that its method to calculate poverty is already flawed, resulting in “thresholds that are too low to reflect true poverty rates,” and “switching to a lower measure of inflation to calculate the (official poverty measure) under the current methodology would exacerbate the problems that already exist.”

“The Trump Administration wants to manipulate the numbers to magically erase poverty for millions of Americans in need,” Tong said. “This cynical policy change has no basis in the real economic situation of poor families. The proposal is more than shifting lines on a spreadsheet—it will deny Connecticut families food stamps, health care assistance and other assistance they rely on daily to stay afloat.”

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ana Radelat Ana has written about politics and policy in Washington, D.C.. for Gannett, Thompson Reuters and UPI. She was a special correspondent for the Miami Herald, and a regular contributor to The New York TImes, Advertising Age and several other publications. She has also worked in broadcast journalism, for CNN and several local NPR stations. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Journalism.

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Connecticut House joins national civil rights campaign over Black hair styles
by Mark Pazniokas

The Connecticut House voted for a bill intended to protect Black women from discrimination over their hair.

CT legislature poised to make early budget pledge to help cities and towns
by Keith M. Phaneuf

The state House is expected to approve more than $100 million in new, annual PILOT grants to municipalities.

Connecticut GOP picks Susan Hatfield as state chair
by Mark Pazniokas

Susan Hatfield, vice chair of the Connecticut Republican Party, will complete the term of the former chair, J.R. Romano.

Senator alleges voter fraud, but no complaint was filed
by Mark Pazniokas

Rob Sampson said a voter in his district was told an absentee ballot already had been cast in her name.

Boston Fed chief predicts strong economic recovery begins in 2nd half of 2021 if vaccine reaches enough people
by Keith M. Phaneuf

A strong economic rebound also depends on states helping those hit hardest by COVID-19, a federal reserve official said.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion The historical basis of zoning begs for reform
by Lawrence Rizzolo

Discussions of race are fraught with emotion. Witness the zoning reforms being discussed in our legislature. I will attempt to advance a dispassionate argument that is based on government-sponsored racism that occurred during my lifetime and led to the structural problems that persist today.

Opinion Lamont must stop waffling on the Killingly power plant issue
by Tennyson Benedict

On January 19, Gov. Ned Lamont gave his bluntest comments yet regarding the controversial Killingly natural gas plant, saying, “I don’t want to build Killingly.”  Yet, Lamont still refuses to wield his executive authority to actually stop its construction, and instead offers vague suggestions that market forces will stop the plant’s construction.

Opinion Religious freedom is less than righteousness
by Spencer Hill

The CT Viewpoints opinion “Religious freedom is more than religion” shows just how entrenched is the sincerely held belief that one man’s notion of “freedom” dictates the liberty of others.

Opinion To boost economy, state should invest in the ‘last mile’ of broadband connectivity
by Thomas J. Peters, Ph.D

In his budget address on February 10,   Gov. Ned Lamont announced his intent to expand broadband connectivity in Connecticut, an effort to be lauded. Connecticut enjoys a significant competitive advantage for economic development in the Connecticut Education Network (CEN), “ a 2,500 route mile, all optical, high-performance internet network.”

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO