Scott, Boyle Demand Answers about How Tax Cuts for the Rich will Limit Access to School Meals and Nutrition Programs
WASHINGTON– Committee Leaders are raising alarm over the Republicans’ drastic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid included in the budget reconciliation which will negatively impact children’s access to school meal programs and threaten food security for millions of families that rely on summer grocery benefits and other health and nutrition services.
Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Ranking Member Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), House Committee on the Budget, sent the letter to Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson (LA-04).
The Democratic Committee leaders are concerned about the broad impacts these cuts would have on critical nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program (S-EBT), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
“Eligibility changes that limit participation in SNAP or Medicaid would negatively impact children’s ability to seamlessly participate in these programs. Eligibility for Medicaid or SNAP, as well as certain other programs, allows millions of low-income students to be certified for free and/or reduced-price school meals without the need for their families to complete a school meals application,” wrote Ranking Members Scott and Boyle. “If fewer students are directly certified through SNAP or Medicaid, fewer schools will be able to use Community Eligibility Provision, leading to students at these schools losing their automatic access to free meals.”
Scott and Boyle are requesting that specific data on the number of children and families who would lose access to school meals, WIC, and Summer-EBT be made publicly available prior to a House floor vote to ensure full understanding of the impact these cuts will have on communities.
To read the full letter, click here.
To learn more about how Republicans’ budget reconciliation will impact child nutrition programs and increase food insecurity, click here.
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