Washington, D.C.– U.S. Senator Roger Marshall questioned witnesses last week during the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry's hearing on the nutrition programs funded by the Farm Bill. Senator Marshall used his time to point out the disparity between the national 20% inflation on food and the roughly 50% increase to the SNAP program.
(Click below to watch the Senator's comments)
Senator Marshall began his remarks by emphasizing that while he wants every person in need to be fed, the increases to SNAP are outpacing inflation, asking in part,
"… I don't want kids going hungry. Nutrition is so important… Food inflation since January 2021 is up 20%, but the SNAP benefits have gone up 50%... Why are SNAP benefits outpacing inflation? And where was the Congressional authority to increase spending beyond inflation?..."
Senator Marshall then pivoted to SNAP work requirements, saying in part,
"...Some of the states are not following… the working requirements to get SNAP. Eighteen states are currently using waivers despite their unemployment being below six percent. Ten percent of SNAP recipients are able-bodied adults without dependents. So why isn't the USDA enforcing the law?... Why are we letting these states get away with this waiver when they don’t qualify for it?..."
Marshall concluded by saying,
"I don't want anyone to go hungry, but when we have 7 million able-bodied men between the ages of 25 and 45 that aren't working potentially qualifying for SNAP benefits, it just doesn't seem fair. There are many other people at the other end of the spectrum that truly need the help when there are so many open jobs in this nation. I think that it is time to get rid of the waivers."