Sen. Krueger Writes in The Hill: Washington's Fad Diet

Sen. Krueger wrote this piece for The Hill's Congress Blog, explaining why Congress' proposed millions in cuts to the food stamps program make no sense.

Cutting domestic spending may make for a great talking point, but this is the ultimate sign to citizens, local businesses and chambers of commerce, and local governments of how divorced from reality Washington has become. SNAP doesn’t just provide food to low-income families – it stimulates local economies. Every SNAP dollar generates $1.73 in economic activity. Cuts to SNAP will be felt from the supermarket and the corner store to the farm. Lost SNAP funds will directly result in jobs lost at every link in the food chain.

We recognize the challenges facing federal legislators in crafting the 2012 farm bill. What we don’t understand is how cutting SNAP aid when Americans need it most could possibly help. SNAP is a job creator, it’s efficient, and it works. It helps families, children, the disabled, the elderly, and the unemployed. It’s cost effective and it helps businesses in every corner of the country. Cuts to SNAP will lead to more hunger, worse health outcomes, and higher health costs. It will also send more families to already overwhelmed food pantries and soup kitchens.