<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Trump Administration on Tuesday unveiled new regulations that are expected to remove 3.1 million Americans from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The new rules are designed to prevent states from automatically enrolling participants who earn more than 130% of the federal poverty level. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">At least 40 states currently use broad-based categorical eligibility to enroll people who qualify for SNAP under alternative criteria; this option allows states to e</span><span class="s1">liminate asset tests and increase income thresholds.</span></p>
<p>For years, Republicans have complained about this <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">“loophole” that permits people with higher incomes to receive federal assistance.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“For too long, this loophole has been used to effectively bypass important eligibility requirements,” argues US Sec. of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “We are changing the rules, preventing abuse of a critical safety net system, so those who need food assistance the most are the only ones who will receive it.”</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>The change could save taxpayers up to $2.5 billion annually.</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“This proposal will save money and preserve the integrity of the program,” adds Perdue. “SNAP should be a temporary safety net.”</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Critics insist the move is designed to enable increased federal spending at the expense of our most vulnerable population. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“This rule would take food away from families, prevent children from getting school meals, and make it harder for states to administer food assistance,” complains Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow.</span></p>
<p>But the decision comes at a time of historically low unemployment, when fewer Americans depend on federal assistance.</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">SNAP participation is at a 10-year low, with roughly 36 million Americans receiving food stamps (down from 38.5 million in 2018). The average monthly benefit is $121 per person. </span></p>