On July 21, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition and Horticulture held a hearing to review an audit of the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) food and nutrition programs. The Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture held a similar hearing on international food aid programs on July 13 (see The Source, 7/14/11).
Audrey Rowe, administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service at USDA, provided an overview of the nutrition programs within the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and acknowledged the “political and budgetary climate in which we find ourselves as the [Farm Bill (P.L. 110-246)] reauthorization process gears up.” Ms. Rowe added, “Federal programs are under heightened scrutiny right now. Members of Congress, the public, and this administration all want to know that scarce resources are being used wisely.”
Ms. Rowe explained the changing dynamics of the nutrition programs, saying, “While about one in four Americans currently participate in federal nutrition programs over the course of a year, these programs are a critical safety net for every American, designed to ensure that, whatever other challenges they face due to economic disruption, natural disaster, or personal challenges such as disease and disability, they need not experience food insecurity and hunger…We see the vital importance of these programs today. Even as signs emerge that the economy is beginning to recover, families across the country continue to struggle with the aftermath of three years of recession. The unemployment rate is down substantially from the recent peak of 10.1 percent in since October 2009, but remained unacceptably high at 9.2 percent as of June. Census Bureau figures show that the poverty rate in 2009 was 14.3 percent, the highest rate since 1994. There were 43.6 million people in poverty in 2009 – the largest number in the 51 years for which poverty estimates are available. And demand for the nutrition assistance programs remains extremely high. In April 2011, 44.6 million people received SNAP [Special Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly the Food Stamp Program] benefits. Participation in the school meals programs remains at near-record levels, with about 32 million children receiving a meal through the school lunch program on an average school day, and two out of three served free or at reduced price. Who are today’s nutrition assistance clients? The answer may surprise you. In SNAP, about half of all clients are children, and about three-quarters of benefits go to households with at least one child. Nearly one-third of participants are in households that include elderly people or people with disabilities. And the SNAP clientele has undergone a major shift in its focus from welfare to work over time. Many are hardworking families who may be facing furloughs or underemployment in these difficult times. All need assistance with money for food until they can get back on their feet.”
With regard to SNAP’s work requirements, Ms. Rowe noted that “able-bodied adults without dependents between [ages] 18 and 50 who do not have any dependent children can get SNAP benefits only for three months in a 36-month period if they do not work or participate in a workfare or employment and training program other than job search…With some exceptions, all adults participating in SNAP between [ages] 16 and 60 must register for work, accept suitable employment, and take part in an employment and training program to which they are referred by the local office. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in disqualification from the program. It is worth noting in this regard that a large proportion of SNAP households are working families. In fact, the primary source of income among SNAP participants has shifted from welfare to work over time. For these working poor households, SNAP provides an important resource to see them through tough economic times.”
