President Trump's proposed budget calls for Congress to enact legislation that changes eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
And that worries representatives of the Great Plains Food Bank.
Changes include:
...limiting the number of adults without dependents who get benefits…
...lowering the minimum benefit level, which is currently 16 dollars per month...
... and capping eligible household members to six.
Acting deputy secretary of agriculture Michael Young says a big chunk of savings in the proposal would require states to match up to 25 percent of the SNAP money provided by the federal government.
“This would be phased in over a time period," Young said. "The estimated 10 year savings for that proposal is about $116 billion dollars.”
"Those people will be turning to a food pantry," said Melissa Sobolik, the director of 'Ending Hunger 2.0' at the Great Plains Food Bank. "We don't have the capacity to fill that gap."
"It really provides people with a dignity and independence to go to a grocery store and get what they want, versus going to a food pantry and getting a pre-packed box," Sobolik said. "If anything changes, we won't be able to keep up, and North Dakotans will be going hungry."
Congress will ultimately decide whether or not to follow through with Trump’s proposals.
