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#SouthDakota Rep. Dusty Johnson plans to reintroduce his America Works Act on Tuesday.

#SNAPCuts #FoodInsecurity #HungerCrisis #AmericaWorksAct #StopSNAPCuts #ProtectSNAP #EndHunger #FoodAssistance #GOPCuts #EconomicJustice #FoodStamps #PolicyMatters #SocialSafetyNet #DustyJohnson
South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson plans to reintroduce his America Works Act on Tuesday. The proposal from Rep. Johnson to dramatically expand SNAP’s existing harsh work requirement could take away food assistance from millions of people. Currently, SNAP participation is limited to only three months in a three-year period for most adults aged 18 through 54 without children in the home unless they can demonstrate they are working at least 20 hours per week or prove they qualify for an exemption, such as having a disability. Johnson’s proposal would expand this punitive work requirement to older adults up to age 65, parents and grandparents in households with children aged 7 or older, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, youth who have aged out of foster care, and people who live in areas without sufficient jobs. Previous estimates that a similar policy would take away SNAP from 3 to 3.5 million people in an average month. But the harm of this policy would not be limited to the individuals being cut off from SNAP; everyone in their households would also receive less help to buy groceries. For example, more than 4 million children between the ages of 7 and 17 live in households that would be at risk of losing some amount of food assistance under this proposal. This draconian policy would make only a fraction of House Republicans’ $230 billion target, CBO estimated. If lawmakers pursue it in reconciliation legislation, they would have to combine it with other harmful policies, like taking help away from even more people, to reach their deep cut target. Multiple studies have shown that SNAP’s work requirement takes food away from people without leading to increased employment or earnings. That suggests that the vast majority of those 3 to 3.5 million people would lose the assistance they need to buy groceries without any improvement in their employment prospects. Most SNAP participants who can work do, either while they are receiving SNAP or within a year. But…
February 25, 2025 at 3:47 AM