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Reposted by Ty Jones Cox

Lauren Bauer @laurenhlb.bsky.social · 3d

We are deeply concerned about where the economy is headed and about OBBBA SNAP policy. And we come with RECEIPTS.

Read alllllll about it here:

www.hamiltonproject.org/publication/...

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · 3d

Low-income families are increasingly struggling to afford groceries & other basic needs. Rather than exacerbating the harm of the megabill’s #SNAP cuts – the deepest cuts to food assistance in history – Congress & the Trump Administration should provide relief from these policies.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · 3d

CBO estimated that states facing these huge new costs would collectively reduce or eliminate SNAP benefits for another 300,000 people in a typical month. But with the megabill's policies & USDA's implementation decisions setting states up to fail, the impact could be far greater.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · 3d

USDA's implementation decisions only reinforce the cost-shift's terrible incentives: under this policy, states aren't penalized if they improperly deny or delay SNAP benefits to eligible low-income people. And states' costs will be lower if fewer eligible people receive SNAP.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · 3d

At the same time, states are also facing the megabill's huge unfunded mandate for SNAP costs, which is based on how many errors states make in their SNAP programs. But errors will now be far more likely as states rush to roll out these complex policies on an unrealistic timeline.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · 3d

Why? Because many unemployed adults shouldn’t be subject to SNAP’s work requirement at all – they’re disabled, caring for an ill relative, or meet another exemption. But states need time to properly screen people & apply exemptions to prevent them from losing benefits.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · 3d

After months of silence, USDA also announced that they consider the work requirement expansion to have been effective when the law was enacted on July 4. Giving states no time to successfully implement these changes further increases the risk that eligible people will lose SNAP.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · 3d

The megabill limited states’ ability to request waivers of this work requirement in areas with few jobs. But citing no legal authority, USDA announced on Friday that they will be revoking previously approved waivers in 30 days, accelerating this harsh policy in many states.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · 3d

CBO estimates that 2.4 million adults will be cut off SNAP as a result — without increasing employment or earnings, research suggests. People who live with those adults, including children, seniors & people with disabilities, will also see their SNAP benefits cut substantially.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · 3d

The megabill dramatically expanded #SNAP's harsh & ineffective work requirement, applying it to:
▪️older adults aged 55-64
▪️parents without kids younger than 14
▪️veterans
▪️people experiencing homelessness
▪️former foster youth
▪️people living in areas where jobs are scarce

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · 3d

Last Friday, USDA issued new info about how some of the Republican megabill’s deepest #SNAP cuts will take effect. This guidance goes beyond what's required by law, setting states up to fail with implementation & increasing the risk eligible people lose SNAP unnecessarily.🧵

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Reposted by Ty Jones Cox

Katie Bergh @katiebergh.bsky.social · 12d

Not only is this funding a fraction of the Medicaid cuts it's supposed to make up for, there's preferable scoring for states that align with the Trump Administration's ideology - like restricting the foods SNAP can be used for, despite a lack of evidence those restrictions improve diets or health.

Gbenga Ajilore @gbenga-ajilore.bsky.social · 12d

HHS Secretary RFK Jr. stated that the $50B Rural Health Transformation Fund is the biggest infusion of federal dollars into rural health.

That is untrue - Medicaid has been, to the tune of roughly $180B per year. Read why the RHTF won't help (with @aorris.bsky.social): www.cbpp.org/blog/rural-h...

Rural Health Fund Will Do Little to Offset Harm to Rural Providers in Republican Megabill | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Medicaid provides health care for millions of people in rural areas and is vital to keeping rural hospitals financially stable. The recently enacted Republican megabill, which will cut $1.1 trillion.....

www.cbpp.org

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · 16d

📈Grocery prices are up.
✂️SNAP faces the largest cuts in history.
🚫And now USDA canceled the annual measure of food insecurity.
Don't hide the damage of bad policy decisions. #CancelHungerNotData

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Reposted by Ty Jones Cox

Katie Bergh @katiebergh.bsky.social · 18d

Overall rates of food insecurity held steady in 2020 & 2021 despite the pandemic. Food insecurity among households with kids actually reached a two-decade low in 2021.

In contrast, food insecurity increased during the Great Recession amid a less robust policy response.

Policy matters.

Lauren Bauer @laurenhlb.bsky.social · 19d

"Trends in the prevalence of food insecurity have remained virtually unchanged, regardless of an over 87% increase in SNAP spending between 2019 - 2023."

It was a massive policy accomplishment to have food security stay flat during COVID.

www.fns.usda.gov/newsroom/usd...

www.fns.usda.gov

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Reposted by Ty Jones Cox

Lauren Bauer @laurenhlb.bsky.social · 20d

This is false; I fear that whoever wrote this statement doesn’t know what these adjectives mean.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · Sep 2

Unfortunately it's just getting started. ⤵️

Katie Bergh @katiebergh.bsky.social · Sep 2

Some #SNAP participants will begin to see their food assistance reduced or eliminated due to the Republican megabill, based on a memo from USDA on Friday outlining how states must begin implementing one of the new law’s SNAP cuts. fns.usda.gov/snap/admin/e...

fns.usda.gov

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Reposted by Ty Jones Cox

Whitney Tucker @whitneytucker.bsky.social · Jul 25

States are increasingly calling for special sessions this year, and it’s not just routine business. From addressing the impact of federal policy, to state tax debates, to shoring up disaster aid and political power plays, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of legislative overtime.🧵

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · Jul 21

CBO's new estimate confirms: the Republican reconciliation law includes the largest #SNAP cut in history ($187B or ~20%). It will take food assistance away from more than 2M low-income ppl & cut food benefits for tens of millions more. Some states could even end SNAP entirely.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · Jul 16

What does that mean? More people will lose food assistance so that the mythical jobless video gamer gets off the couch.

Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · Jul 16

Reminder – Republicans say they’re targeting mythical able-bodied men playing video games, but they actually wrote a law that specifically targets and takes food away from parents, veterans, people facing homelessness, and older workers who face complications finding jobs.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · Jul 16

No matter the spin - research has shown over and over again that work requirements do not increase employment. They do not increase earnings. They just cut people off from the support they need to meet their basic needs. www.cbpp.org/blog/most-wo...

Most Working-Age SNAP Participants Work But Job Instability Overstates Joblessness in Some Analyses | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps more than 40 million people put food on the table each month. SNAP has existing, harmful work-reporting requirements, but recent proposals...

www.cbpp.org

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · Jul 11

This means continuing to monitor participation & food costs to ensure WIC can serve every eligible person who seeks benefits.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · Jul 11

Policymakers should invest in the health of our youngest children by adhering to the longstanding bipartisan commitment to fully fund #WIC in 2026.

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · Jul 11

The Senate bill, on the other hand, provides sufficient funding for WIC & protects the science-based fruit and vegetable benefit. Policymakers must adopt this approach as conversations about 2026 funding continue. www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

www.appropriations.senate.gov

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Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · Jul 11

The House bill also starts the process laid out in President Trump’s budget of slashing the #WIC fruit and vegetable benefit, raising the risk that our youngest children in families w/ low incomes don’t get enough healthy food to eat. www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-b...

Trump Budget Would Slash WIC Fruit and Vegetable Benefits for Millions | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

For more than 25 years, Presidents and Congresses of both parties have adhered to a commitment to provide enough funding for the WIC program — the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,...

www.cbpp.org

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