Trump Administration’s New Food Stamp Proposal Would Leave 500,000 Kids Without Free Lunches

Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) has sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), explaining to them that after their plan to cut food stamps to millions of Americans, 500,000 children could lose their free school lunches.

This new restriction could affect more than three million Americans. Children whose parents receive food stamps are automatically eligible to receive free lunches. 

Scott is the chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor and has requested that the USDA change its proposal so as not jeopardize the school lunch program. Scott also request to know why there was no specific estimate of how many children would be impacted by the rule.

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According to Scott’s staff, the new program would allow children to obtain school breakfasts and lunches for reduced prices. But Scott worries that some children would still not be able to afford food. For this program, parents would have to sign their children up as opposed to the current system that automatically enrolls them. 

Scott says that the omission of the estimated number of impacted children violates a federal requirement that “relevant scientific and technical findings” must be included.

The Trump administration wants to repeal rules that allow states to raise food stamp eligibility requirements. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said that these new rules would be “preventing abuse of a critical safety net system.” But by preventing “abuse” the Trump administration would be preventing half a million kids around the country from eating.