There are currently 11 million work-ready adults who are receiving SNAP benefits that could start working immediately to fill the over-11 million open jobs in the United States
In a House Agriculture Committee hearing, U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL) urged the Biden Administration and officials at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to pursue changes in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) policies that encourage work-ready adults to return to the workforce.
From Rep. Davis’ remarks:
Thank you, Chair, and Ranking Member Thompson, we’ve had a busy week in this Committee, and I appreciate that. I am looking forward to discussing SNAP issues today.
Deputy Under Secretary Dean, in your testimony, you talk about how SNAP is a powerful tool to address hunger and hardship, and yet the Biden Administration is pushing an agenda of poverty by continuing to incentivize people to stay at home, not seek employment, and not utilize the employment and training programs that exist through the USDA, at a time when there’s a business on every corner that really needs employees.
I mentioned in the Committee’s cattle hearing yesterday, but it’s worth repeating – we are currently seeing the largest increase in food prices in 40 years.
I keep bringing up inflation in this Committee, because it’s warranted – these benefits have always been intended to be a tool to get people back on their feet from a hard time, not an economic incentive to stay on the sidelines.
To that end, the Department conducted its annual cost of living adjustment just last year, and then increased benefits by way of an accelerated, debatable Thrifty Food Plan update. I believe there is still a focus from this Administration and FNS to increase SNAP benefit allotments and expand eligibility even further.
Just yesterday, Democrats blamed meat packers for high prices, even when producers said inflation related to wasteful pandemic spending, supply chain issues, and lack of workers was the cause for these increased input costs and subsequent food prices.
It seems obvious that the Department wouldn’t be able to quantify mere rumors of price gouging when adjusting these prices, so why does this Administration insist on finger pointing when it comes to the root cause of high food prices?
It’s worth repeating that there are currently 11 million work-ready adults, certified by their state workforce agencies, who are receiving SNAP benefits but could start working immediately to fill the over-11 million open jobs in the United States.
Getting these individuals to work could ease supply chain issues immediately, that would be done by increasing domestic production and productivity.
Until this Administration pushes to do a better job of matching people with these jobs, and disincentivizing the COVID culture of not working, these problems we are talking about today are only going to persist.
Mr. Chair, I want to say thank you for allowing me the time to make these remarks today. I don’t have any further questions for the witness and yield back the balance of my time.
Original source can be found here.