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Chairman Conaway Unveils SNAP Report

Findings from the “Past, Present, and Future of SNAP” Hearing Series

Washington, December 7, 2016
Tags: SNAP
Washington, D.C. - Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) unveiled a new report summarizing the committee’s two-year review of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Committee members heard from 60 witnesses in 16 hearings over the course of the review known as the Past, Present, and Future of SNAP. The report can be viewed here.

SNAP has grown from a pilot program that served just 500,000 people in 1964 to a program that served more than 47 million Americans at the height of the recession. SNAP is now the largest program under the Agriculture Committee’s jurisdiction—accounting for almost 80 percent of farm bill spending—and is the largest federal food program serving low-income families in the United States.

“Every day, more than 43 million Americans rely on SNAP to put food on the table for themselves and their families. Over the past two years, we have found that the program is working well in many areas, but there are a number of areas in need of improvement. The findings in this report will guide our efforts as we prepare to reauthorize SNAP in the 115th Congress,” said Chairman Conaway. “Over the past two years, it was clear that there is sincere, bi-partisan interest in ensuring that SNAP is meeting the needs of those it is intended to serve. I want to thank all of my colleagues—including Nutrition Subcommittee Chairwoman Jackie Walorski, Ranking Member Collin Peterson, and Nutrition Subcommittee Ranking Member Jim McGovern—for their patience and perseverance as we undertook this top-to-bottom review. I also want to again thank the many witnesses who took time out of their busy schedules to make their voices heard.”

“I’ve seen hunger and poverty up close, both overseas and in my district, and I know the importance of working together to end the cycle of poverty. This report is the result of two years of listening to those who are on the front lines of the fight against poverty and those who have faced hardship themselves. By understanding what works and what doesn’t, we can better help those who fall on hard times so everyone has a chance to achieve the American Dream. I want to thank Chairman Conaway, Nutrition Subcommittee Ranking Member Jim McGovern, and our colleagues on the Agriculture Committee for their hard work that has set the stage for real reforms to fix the way we fight poverty,” said Subcommittee Chairwoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN).