(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) joined Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), and Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (OH-11) and more than 100 House Democrats in introducing the Protect SNAP Act, legislation to prevent the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from implementing stricter work requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bill follows USDA’s final rule restricting hundreds of thousands of Americans’ access to SNAP—America’s leading anti-hunger program.
“People are going to go hungry because of President Trump and his administration’s cruel new restrictions on SNAP,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “Despite the USDA’s own research showing that the vast majority of SNAP recipients who can work do, President Trump is cutting off a vital lifeline and rigging SNAP against the very people who the program was created to help. That is a betrayal of our nation’s values and the decades bipartisan leadership in support of SNAP. Congress defeated this immoral proposal in last year’s farm bill, and we need to step up again by passing the Protect SNAP Act immediately to reinforce our authority and intent on this issue.”
“Make no mistake: the Trump Administration’s latest work requirement rule will not create jobs or help anyone find work – it’s designed to punish unemployed or underemployed workers for falling on hard times,” said Congresswoman Lee. “What’s more, we know that this rule will disproportionately affect communities of color, rural areas, and other places where good jobs are scarce. We cannot allow Trump to push more families further into poverty, and make it that much harder to climb out. Congress explicitly rejected these ideas in the last Farm Bill, and it’s time to pass the Protect SNAP Act to further safeguard this critical program. No one should be going to bed hungry in the richest nation on earth.”
“The Administration is callously forging ahead with a rule that would strip critical food assistance from nearly 700,000 of our most vulnerable citizens. Yet, they have not even attempted to determine who ABAWDs are, what hardships they face, or whether jobs are available in areas with high unemployment,” said Congresswoman Fudge. “Though the new policy doesn’t take effect until April of next year, the decision to finalize this rule during the holiday season makes clear that the cruelty is the point. I refuse to stand by while this Administration disregards, demonizes and devastates hundreds of thousands of people in need. By preventing USDA from implementing this mean-spirited rule, the Protect SNAP Act will respect the dignity of hungry people and ensure they can continue to put food on the table.”
Earlier this year, Raskin was one of more than 100 House Democrats urging Secretary Perdue to withdraw the proposed rule.
Original cosponsors of the Protect SNAP Act include: Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-07), Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02), Congressman Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03), Congressman Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), Congressman Greg Stanton (AZ-09), Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14), Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16), Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17), Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (CA-18), Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Congressman TJ Cox (CA-21), Congressman Adam Schiff (CA-28), Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-30), Congressman Ted Lieu (CA-33), Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35), Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA-37), Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Congressman Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39), Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53), Congressman Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Congressman Al Lawson (FL-05), Congresswoman Val Demings (FL-10), Congressman Alcee Hastings (FL-20), Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22), Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Congressman Hank Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Congressman John Lewis (GA-05), Congressman David Scott (GA-13), Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), Congressman Bobby Rush (IL-01), Congresswoman Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Congressman Chuy Garcia (IL-04), Congressman Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Congressman Andre Carson (IN-07), Congressman Cedric Richmond (LA-02), Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy, III (MA-04), Congresswoman Katherine Clark (MA-05), Congressman Anthony Brown (MD-04), Congressman David Trone (MD-06), Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04), Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Congressman William Lacy Clay (MO-01), Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Congressman Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Congressman David Price (NC-04), Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01), Congressman Ben Ray Luján (NM-03), Congressman Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06), Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Congressman Jerry Nadler (NY-10), Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Congressman José Serrano (NY-15), Congressman Antonio Delgado (NY-19), Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13), Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Congressman Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03), Congresswoman Susan Wild (PA-07), Congressman Jim Langevin (RI-02), Congressman Jim Clyburn (SC-06), Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Congressman Al Green (TX-09), Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33), Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30), Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04), Congressman Don Beyer, Jr. (VA-08), Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (VA-10), Congressman Gerald Connolly (VA-11), Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), Congressman Peter Welch (VT-AL), Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01), and Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04).
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