Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander. She is a lawyer, an educator, former prosecutor, State Representative and Senator. She was the first woman to lead a Senate caucus. But the most important title she boasts is MOM. Inspired by her family, she’s devoted her life to building a stronger Michigan for everyone.
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August 28, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2019
Governors Whitmer, Inslee Lead Coalition of 17 Governors Opposing USDA Proposal to Kick Families Off Food Assistance
LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governors Gretchen Whitmer and Jay Inslee -- along with a coalition of governors from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin -- sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue voicing opposition to the USDA’s proposal to essentially eliminate Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). According to the USDA’s own analysis, many of those impacted would be among the most vulnerable in our states, including individuals with disabilities and the elderly. The USDA’s proposal also jeopardizes access to free lunches and breakfasts at school for an estimated 500,000 low-income children.
Estimates show that the elimination of BBCE would result in 85,446 adults and 58,743 children in Michigan and 175,000 individuals in Washington State losing access to food assistance. Overall, it is expected that more than 3 million Americans nationwide will lose benefits.
“If we want to lift people out of poverty and grow our economy, we must work together to ensure they have the support they need, not make deep cuts that make it harder for them to provide for their families and save for the future,” said Gov. Whitmer. “We’re joining together to fight back against this attack on low-income Americans to protect access to healthy food for hundreds of thousands of low-income families, children, people with disabilities, the elderly, farmers and food producers. It's time for the President and Secretary Perdue to do the right thing and rescind this proposal on behalf of hardworking families everywhere.”
“This misguided and harmful policy would severely restrict access to food assistance for those who need it most, exacerbating hunger and making it even more difficult for people experiencing poverty to find work. It removes state flexibility, rips away food assistance from millions of vulnerable Americans and fails to achieve the Trump administration’s stated goals of improving self-sufficiency,” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “No one should go hungry in America, particularly children. I stand with other governors from all over the country in opposing this cruel and mean-spirited proposal.”
BBCE is a policy that requires states to enroll eligible applicant households in SNAP for food assistance if they’re already qualified for other benefits limited to low-income people, most notably Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). States utilize BBCE to adopt less restrictive income and asset tests and to better coordinate SNAP with other state-operated programs. The result has been an increase in low-income households getting access to the food assistance they need, while also making SNAP easier and less costly for states to administer.
To view the full letter, click the link below:
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