SNAP

The committee engaged in a top-to-bottom review of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Past, Present, and Future of SNAP.

In the committee’s first seven hearings on SNAP, it looked at the program through the eyes of recipients, which helped the committee discover the need for more state and local flexibility in order to move from a one-size-fits-all program to one that is tailored to meet specific needs. The committee has heard from dozens of organizations and SNAP recipients on the importance of the charitable sector in engaging recipients. Churches, food banks, and other local organizations are simply better equipped than the federal government in some areas, and together we can improve the lives of the 46 million Americans in need of assistance. Many of those in the program face barriers like the “welfare cliff,” and challenges with transportation or childcare, which prevent them from being able to enter or re-enter the workforce and move up the economic ladder.