Peters fought to convince Governor Snyder to drop part of his controversial food assistance cuts last year

Washington, D.C. - Today U.S. Rep. Gary Peters denounced House Republicans for once again putting billionaires before children, seniors and disabled Americans on the brink of poverty. By introducing their Ryan Budget today, the GOP endorsed an extremist agenda that protects tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans by turning Medicare into a voucher program and making drastic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that would likely force millions of Americans into poverty. Because 76% of the 22 million families on SNAP assistance have a child, an elderly person or a disabled person in their household, the Ryan Budget would disproportionately hurt some of the most vulnerable Americans.

Last fall, Gary Peters successfully fought another GOP effort to limit SNAP assistance to families in Michigan. In response to Governor Snyder’s proposal to asset test vehicle ownership for families to receive SNAP food assistance, Peters introduced the EAT Act to prevent these cuts and worked with local leaders to pressure Snyder to abandon his original plan.

“Today House Republicans laid out a plan that would force millions of children, seniors and disabled Americans deeper into poverty, but they continue working to protect tax cuts for billionaires,” said U.S. Rep. Gary Peters. “We can’t solve our nation’s financial challenges by balancing the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable in our society and I'm committed to standing up against this radical proposal. Last fall I fought Governor Snyder’s misguided policy to force Michiganders facing tough times to choose between food assistance and their ability to find and maintain work, and I’ll fight against the Tea Party’s Ryan Budget as well.”

Background:

Last fall after Governor Snyder proposed asset testing the value of a family’s vehicle in calculating SNAP eligibility, U.S. Rep. Gary Peters introduced the EAT Act which would have prevented this kind of testing. Because of public pressure brought by Peters and community leaders, Governor Snyder reversed and agreed to exempt the first vehicle a family owns from asset testing.

In the Ryan Budget, the GOP proposes drastic changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Right now, 76% of the approximately 22 million households receiving SNAP assistance include a child, an elderly person or a disabled person - so the Ryan Budget’s plan to force a “work requirement” for eligibility for assistance makes almost no sense. If the Ryan Budget passed, it's likely that millions of families would be forced further into poverty and hunger would increase in Michigan and across America.

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