MAZON Condemns Trump’s Budget Proposal as a "Moral Disgrace"

MAZON Condemns Trump’s Budget Proposal as a “Moral Disgrace”

MAZON Staff

February 12, 2018

Back

Abby J. Leibman, president and CEO at MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, today issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget proposal:

“President Trump’s budget proposal is a moral disgrace that will hurt tens of millions of low-income families and increase hunger in America. The anti-hunger field has been prepared for disappointment, but this proposal is beyond the pale.

“Massive funding cuts and structural changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are anything but a ‘bold new approach’ for vulnerable children, seniors, rural communities, disabled individuals and veterans in our nation. Slashing this vital and effective program by 25 percent does nothing to help hungry Americans get back on their feet. And shifting how benefits are delivered and imposing arbitrary work requirements—or giving states additional flexibility to enact harsh eligibility requirements—will prevent even more people from putting food on the table each day.

“For years, SNAP has provided a modicum of stability in poor people’s lives, and the President’s budget proposal will only serve to erect new barriers to overcoming poverty.

“This budget represents more magical thinking from this Administration. What we need is real leadership in Congress to work in a bipartisan fashion to pass a Farm Bill that helps people struggling with food insecurity to put food on the table.

“Slashing government assistance programs that help everyday Americans will not help eliminate our country’s deficit. It will not help Americans get back to work. And most importantly, it will bring harm to the millions of Americans who rely on programs like SNAP to survive.”

About MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger 
Inspired by Jewish values and ideals, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a national advocacy organization working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel. In March 2017, MAZON testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition about hunger and the future of SNAP. For more information, please visit mazon.org.

###

Stay up to date on our news.
Subscribe to our Newsletter.

News & Events

All News

Historic Cuts to SNAP Deepen the War on Women (Ms. Magazine)

The last few months in Washington, D.C., have been consumed with political theatrics around the budget reconciliation process. Republicans in the House and Senate scrambled to pass legislation that will cut $184 billion from SNAP through 2034—by far the largest cut to SNAP in the program’s history—to finance tax cuts for the wealthy big businesses. They also hope to increase funding for pursuit of immigrants. Read more.

House Ag Dems: OBBBA will allow states to end SNAP (The Fence Post)

States will be allowed to opt out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program if state officials decide they cannot or will not pay the increased cost share under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Democratic members of the House Agriculture Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee repeatedly pointed out at a hearing today. The three witnesses all agreed. Read more.

Partnering with MAZON: Fighting Hunger and Nourishing the Jewish Soul (TC Jewfolk)

TC Jewfolk is proud to partner with MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger – a national organization inspired by Jewish values – to fight to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel.

“We need committed advocates who do the work to move legislation aimed at ending hunger forward, as well as to fight harmful policies that would erode the safety net that enables so many people to put food on the table,” Haviv explained. “That work must happen at every level, and we are committed to a strong effort in statehouses nationwide.” Read more.