MAZON Statements

Today, the President released the top-line figures of his Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposal, which contains deep cuts to non-defense discretionary programs—many of which provide necessary and life-saving services to low-income Americans who struggle to feed themselves and their families.

Abby J. Leibman, President & CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, issued the following statement in response:

“This proposal reveals how out of touch this Administration is with the realities of everyday American people. There seems to be no interest in addressing the needs of working American families, including food insecurity. True leadership requires moderating political impulses with judgement, wisdom and compassion—all of which are in short supply in this budget proposal.

“On the heels of a government shutdown that revealed the precarious financial circumstance for tens of thousands of federal workers, and an attempt to circumvent the will of Congress by imposing harsh time restrictions on eligibility for SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), this budget proposal is the latest in a string of heartless attempts to punish working families and low-income Americans.

“These cuts represent a dangerous and deliberate attack on programs founded to help our nation’s most vulnerable meet their basic needs. The proposal clearly reflects this Administration’s agenda to chip away at the social safety net, undermine vital programs that help struggling American families, and remove the safeguards that keep people from going hungry in this country.

“This Administration has been nothing if not consistent in their efforts to punish the poor. Rhetoric and cruel ideology will not keep food on the table—that’s why it is the government’s responsibility to adequately fund the programs that do so.”