By Nadia Ramlagan
The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is on the chopping block in Congress.
A House budget resolution would cut $30 billion in SNAP funding over the next nine years, a 20% cut to the program.
Salam Bhatti, SNAP director for the Food Research and Action Center, said reducing the benefits would likely jeopardize rural local businesses and further strain the 278,000 West Virginians who rely on it to keep food on the table.
“In 2023, SNAP brought a monthly average of over $41 million to the state, which is an incredible economic boost,” Bhatti pointed out.
Critics of SNAP said the program is bloated and is used to support major corporations selling highly processed products. According to the right-leaning CATO Institute, federal spending on SNAP jumped from $63 billion in 2019 to $145 billion in 2023, and its research indicated almost one-quarter of purchases by SNAP households are for junk food.
Supporters of SNAP said the program helps low-income populations more likely to face financial burdens as grocery prices climb. More than one in eight Latino adults have gone into debt to feed their families, according to the group UnidosUS.
Bhatti added many people may be surprised at the number of businesses counting on SNAP dollars to stay afloat.
“We know that over 2,100 retailers in West Virginia — local businesses, convenience stores, grocery stores — are benefiting from SNAP as well,” Bhatti pointed out. “They redeemed over a total of $730 million in 2023.”
Last year, West Virginia SNAP households of four received up to $1,248 dollars a month. Bhatti argued more people will go hungry, or skip needed medications and other expenses, if they no longer can rely on the program.
“Over 10,000 veterans are participating in SNAP, and 43% of SNAP households have children,” Bhatti added.
In 2023, 69% of SNAP households in West Virginia included someone who is working, according to data from the Food Research and Action Center.
