Gleaners raises alarm over 'humanitarian and economic disaster' of SNAP cuts in federal legislation

More than 600,000 Hoosiers would likely lose access to some or all of their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits under the massive federal bill approved by U.S. House Republicans Thursday.

The federal bill shifts 25 percent of the cost of SNAP onto states. For Indiana, that means taking on more than $350 million — something Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana CEO Fred Glass said the state budget simply cannot support.

"I think this proposed legislation would be a needless, self-inflicted humanitarian and economic disaster, not only for Indiana but for the entire country — and not only for people facing hunger, but for all Americans," Glass said.

And Glass said Indiana's food banks can't make up the difference, either. Hoosiers would lose access to 133 million meals because of the SNAP cuts — while the food banks in Indiana collectively provided 108 million meals last year.

"You can see that the system just would not be able to absorb that and people would go hungry," Glass said.

READ MORE: What's the process to apply for SNAP benefits? Here's what to expect
 

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Glass noted that as hunger worsens, crime rates and health care costs go up. And he said SNAP is an economic engine.

"Study after study has shown that for every dollar of SNAP that's used to purchase food, it creates almost $2 worth of other economic activity," Glass said. "So that's why in an economic downturn, when SNAP rates go up because people are more in need, it actually generates the kind of economic activity that helps pull us out."

Glass said he hopes federal lawmakers will "step back from the abyss" as debate over the legislation moves to the Senate.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.