Vicky Negus
@VickyMLRI
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SNAP+TANF policy @MassLawReform. Working to strengthen, expand, and protect critical safety net programs. Opinions my own.
Boston, MA
Joined October 2019
A lot of noise on #SNAP and this bad, ugly, shortsighted, horrible bill - let's get a few things straight. 1) Senate Rs are barreling towards largest ever cuts to food assistance, to hand off taxpayer dollars from those with the least in this country to those with the most.
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"A $10-a-person daily food budget, which the USDA spokesperson mentioned in Thursday’s email, is more than the daily allotment for SNAP."
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins made waves this week with claims that the Trump administration’s revamped food pyramid leaves plenty of room for Americans to maintain a healthy diet for as little as $3 a meal.
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After enacting the deepest #SNAP cuts in history & needlessly disrupting benefits during the shutdown, the Trump Administration is quietly advancing draft regulations to take SNAP away from millions more people – primarily working families with kids, seniors & disabled people.
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Aside from the fact that SNAP participants already have to periodically recertify for benefits — usually every 6 or 12 months — SNAP rules also prohibit states from arbitrarily shortening a household's certification period to force them to reapply early.
New: The Trump administration will require SNAP participants to reapply for benefits in an effort to crack down on "fraud" Not yet clear how this differs from current requirements to recertify personal info https://t.co/v6mFU9CEsu
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As one federal judge noted today, the Trump Administration's approach to SNAP during the shutdown "repeatedly shifted the goalposts for States, each time requiring States to rely on incorrect information not in accordance with the law." That just about sums it up.
After the chaos of constantly shifting USDA guidance over the last week, a quick SNAP recap: Some households received their full benefits. Some got partial benefits. Some got *different* partial benefits because USDA initially did the math wrong. Many have still received nothing.
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New data: CBPP analyzed USDA’s contingency fund spending plan & found it is only going to release 2/3 of the funding they committed to in court filings, cutting families’ SNAP benefits far more than necessary, violating USDA’s own regulations & shortchanging millions of families.
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The Trump Admin has failed struggling families but MA can act w/ partial funds to reduce hunger, retailers, & ease pressure on emergency food system. We urge Gov Healey & MA legislature to quickly provide partial state funds & ensure applicants get help putting food on the table.
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Families are still being left with impossible choices. A 50% partial payment is a “big deal for families who, right now, are getting nothing” - but it is woefully insufficient,” Negus told the Globe. “Families can’t eat retroactively.”
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But, distressingly, USDA chose NOT to fund all of November SNAP w/ other $ it has, and applicants won’t get anything. The Trump Admin chose to harm recipients who will only get 50% of typical SNAP (& for many, the 50% will be delayed) & applicants in dire need.
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There is no need for deliberation or clarification. The administration is sitting on billions in SNAP contingency funds and must release them. The administration could have, and should have, taken steps weeks ago to get food to families. Time is ticking ⏲️ https://t.co/v0rSsUnT4v
ms.now
To appreciate the seriousness of the situation, we need to understand whom SNAP helps and how.
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Punchbowl reports “White House officials determined they do not have the authority” to use contingency reserves —billions of $ that Congress provided for use when SNAP funding is inadequate— to fund Nov. SNAP benefits. But, that’s not what USDA’s now-deleted shutdown plan says:
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This is an unprecedented situation- SNAP benefits have never been delayed due to a federal shutdown. Failure to issue SNAP on time will force residents to skip meals and go hungry, cause immense financial distress, and flood an already stretched thin emergency food system.
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Massachusetts has the resources to mitigate the harms of this generationally bad bill - By investing in SNAP + @DTA_Listens's workforce, we can protect families from being incorrectly cut-off and ensure everyone can access food with dignity.
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H.R. 1 penalizes states if accuracy suffers due to mistakes- and accuracy suffers when people can’t get the help they need or workers are overwhelmed. H.R 1 also imposes significant work on this already stretched thin system, risking termination for thousands of eligible people.
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Since COVID, SNAP caseloads in MA are up 45%, yet DTA staffing hasn’t kept pace. Cases per worker are 50% higher than pre-COVID. 3 of every 4 calls trying to reach a worker for help are blocked because of insufficient staffing.
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1 in 6 MA residents put food on the table with SNAP- SNAP accounts for $1 of every $5 spent in grocery stores statewide. SNAP fights hunger & fuels our economy.
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Understanding government effectiveness starts with collecting the data. Hard not to see this as the Administration anticipating that they will want to hide the impact of their policy actions from the public. Congress must act to protect government accountability.
The Administration acknowledged that it will stop the survey that measures food insecurity, just as tariffs push up food prices and the deep cuts to food assistance enacted in July start to take effect. Congress must intervene to save these vital data.
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The Administration acknowledged that it will stop the survey that measures food insecurity, just as tariffs push up food prices and the deep cuts to food assistance enacted in July start to take effect. Congress must intervene to save these vital data.
wsj.com
The government has been measuring food insecurity since the mid-1990s but now says the report has become “overly politicized.”
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MLRI and civil legal aid are ready to stand with the Healey Administration to find ways to mitigate the serious cuts to SNAP food benefits passed by President Trump & Republicans in Congress. https://t.co/gIsh2oA5n9
mass.gov
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NEW: Trump’s sweeping tax- and spending-cuts bill would chop money for safety net programs the state relies on to help feed its poorest residents. Less noticed, the state budget sitting on @MassGovernor's desk threatens to exacerbate those cuts. https://t.co/gTyJx3IFpH
#mapoli
bostonglobe.com
The state budget slashed more than $40 million in funding for the Department of Transitional Assistance, which administers SNAP and other programs for poor families.
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"especially no tax on tips and overtime"
Massive tax cuts, especially no tax on tips and overtime. And most importantly, big money for border security. This is a big win for the American people.
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