As Trump targets food stamps, hunger in US remains high
Donald Trump is praising the "Trump Economy," touting how its "booming" numbers are a reason to add work requirements for food stamps. But new government research shows that hunger remains higher than it was before the Great Recession.
About 11.8 percent of Americans were "food insecure" in 2017, representing about 15 million households, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's down from 12.3 percent a year earlier, but still higher than the pre-recession rate of 11.1 percent in 2007, the agency said.
Food insecurity, defined as failing to have enough food because of a lack of money or other resources, is a closely watched measure of hardship. The problem, say poverty experts, has never truly been solved since President Lyndon Johnson launched his "war on poverty" in the 1960s, which included food stamps. Hunger still touches every state in the country, the USDA said in its latest report.
"The first thing is to acknowledge that it's down, and it's a statistically significant decline from last year, but it's still 40 million people experiencing food insecurity, and we're still not quite back to the pre-recession levels of 2007," said Elaine Waxman, senior fellow at the Urban Institute.
Trump tweeted his support for adding work requirements to food stamps on Wednesday morning, citing the growing economy as one reason for adding the stipulation.
"The Trump Economy is booming with help of House and Senate GOP," Mr. Trump wrote. "#FarmBill with SNAP work requirements will bolster farmers and get America back to work. Pass the Farm Bill with SNAP work requirements!"
Even though the economy is improving, the benefits aren't necessarily reaching the poorest Americans. And adding work requirements could lead to higher hunger and food insecurity rates, poverty advocates say.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/as-trump-targets-food-stamps-hunger-in-us-remains-high/ar-BBMWlmC?li=BBnbfcN
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