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WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today wrote to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and expressed her opposition to a USDA proposed rule that would institute work requirements for individuals who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)  benefits. In her letter, Pingree noted that when the state of Maine imposed a similar policy during the LePage administration it increased the state’s food insecurity to 15.8 percent and urged USDA not to pursue this course.

Pingree wrote in her letter: 

I am writing to express my significant concerns about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed rule, “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents.”  Based on experiences in my home state of Maine, I believe this proposed rule is misguided and ignores the complexities of food insecurity. 

In 2014, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would no longer waive the work requirement for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs), meaning the state would impose a 3-month time limit on benefits for ABAWD recipients.  Since Maine instituted this policy change in early 2015, over 9,000 Mainers have lost access to SNAP benefits.  Meanwhile, the prevalence of food insecurity in Maine has actually worsened.  According to USDA, in 2015 when food insecurity dropped to 12.7 percent of households nationwide, food insecurity in Maine increased to 15.8 percent.  Additionally, one in five children in Maine experiences food insecurity.

The standard for ABAWD waivers should be flexible, because states need to respond to food insecurity in ways that work for them.  Furthermore, ABAWDs are a complex population.  Imposing a one-size-fits-all solution on to all states ignores the lack of transportation to job trainings in our rural communities, the difficulty individuals can have in certifying disabling conditions without regular access to health care, and the disruption that homelessness and mental health can have on every aspect of someone’s life.  Many of the ABAWDs who have been affected by Maine’s policies are military veterans, and it is unfathomable to deny food to those who have served our country. 

I believe that access to food is a fundamental right and am very concerned that this proposed rule will only perpetuate food insecurity in Maine and across the country.  My state has learned some difficult lessons as a result of its imposition of the three-month time limit, namely that this policy change does not magically create jobs nor does it reduce food insecurity.  I do not want this proposed rule to foreclose the opportunity for Maine or other states to pursue ABAWD waivers in the future.

I urge you to withdraw the proposed rule affecting ABAWDs immediately.  Thank you and I look forward to your response.

In addition to her own letter, Pingree signed on to a letter with 100 members of the House outlining the broader implications of this proposed rule for the nation. She also is cosponsor of the Protect SNAP Act, which would prevent the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) from implementing stricter work requirement under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

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