[New Jersey News]
“According to recent data, roughly one million New Jerseyans experience food insecurity and nearly 700,000 New Jerseyans received SNAP benefits so far this year. Of those, over 300,000 were children. If this rule were to be enacted, some of those children would be at risk of losing their eligibility for free school meals.”
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Several New Jersey lawmakers, including Senator Cory Booker, sent a letter to Department of Agriculture regarding the recent restrictions added to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), along with Reps. Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Andy Kim (NJ-03), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Tom Malinowski (NJ-07), Albio Sires (NJ-08), Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-09), Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ -12) yesterday urged U.S. Department of Agriculture to withdraw their recently proposed rule to restrict benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by undermining “broad-based categorical eligibility” (BBCE).
New Jersey is one of more than 40 states that allows individuals to become automatically eligible for SNAP assistance if they already receive non-cash benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. This allows families that make more than 130 percent of the poverty level to still receive support in making ends meet.
In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, the head of the USDA, the lawmakers wrote:
“If this administration chooses to enact this policy, tens of thousands of New Jerseyans will be forced to make the unwelcome choice between saving for the future and feeding their families today.
“The proposed rule runs counter to the intent of Congress to provide nutrition assistance to those in need. In fact, the most recent bipartisan Farm Bill passed by an overwhelming majority in both chambers of Congress and rejected attempts by the Administration to undermine the program.
“As such, we urge you to reconsider and rescind this current proposal.”
According to recent data, roughly one million New Jerseyans experience food insecurity and nearly 700,000 New Jerseyans received SNAP benefits so far this year. Of those, over 300,000 were children. If this rule were to be enacted, some of those children would be at risk of losing their eligibility for free school meals.
