For Immediate Release: 12/7/16
Contact: Jack Waite, 512-658-5223 or jwaite@feedingtexas.org
Statement Attributable to Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas:
Today Congressman Mike Conaway (R-Midland), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, released a report summarizing two years of Congressional inquiry into SNAP, the federal entitlement program that is the backbone of our nation’s defense against hunger.
Our food banks and program partners were pleased to offer our expertise to the Congressman and his staff across these sixteen separate hearings. We were also heartened by the bipartisan interest in protecting and strengthening a program that gives hope and opportunity to four million Texans facing food insecurity and economic uncertainty.
The report clearly and unambiguously heralds SNAP as a "vital lifeline" that is "essential in protecting the most vulnerable citizens during tough times."
We agree with this unequivocal statement about the vital role that SNAP plays in protecting and supporting struggling Americans, as well as with the report’s broad findings: that SNAP must have some flexibility to address local conditions and coordinate with local partners; that SNAP can help improve food access and promote healthy lifestyles; that SNAP must continue to operate with high levels of integrity and efficiency; and that good jobs are the key for many families now receiving SNAP to achieve financial security.
We look forward to working with the Chairman and the new Administration to protect and strengthen SNAP during the upcoming farm bill reauthorization. We will continue to vigorously oppose any proposals that would undermine SNAP’s effectiveness or change its fundamental structure, such as by reducing funding, restricting recipients’ food choices or ceding program authority to states through block-grants.
SNAP provides four million struggling Texans with hope and fuel to pursue a better life. It is essential to our mission to create a hunger-free Texas, and we are proud to have a hand in its continued success.