Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) issued the following statement in light of USDA’s announcement that the Trump administration will tighten work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is estimated to cut benefits for nearly 700,000 recipients:

“The Trump administration gave trillion dollar tax cuts to corporations and billionaires, yet they don’t think people should have access to healthy, nutritious foods. This is another example of how their cruelty knows no bounds. 

“Access to healthy, nutritious food is a fundamental right. This rule will only increase food insecurity in Maine and across the country. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I fiercely fought to exclude these restrictions from the 2018 Farm Bill, just like I opposed their implementation in Maine. This policy does not magically create new jobs or reduce food insecurity. USDA should be lifting up the hungry, not abandoning them in their time of need.” 

The state of Maine ranks as one of the top ten most food-insecure states in the country. One in five Maine children experiences food insecurity. Maine instituted a similar policy during the LePage administration, which increased the state’s food insecurity to 15.8%. 

Pingree wrote to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue in April expressing concerns about the proposed SNAP work requirements. 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 USDA from implementing stricter work requirement under SNAP.

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