Statement from the CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC

The Senate is on the verge of voting on the Budget Reconciliation bill after advancing it past a key procedural vote on Sunday. As it stands, under the bill SNAP, (Supplemental Food Assistance Program – known by many under its previous name of Food Stamps), will be significantly cut with up to $280 million shifted to North Carolina. 

The effects of these proposed reductions and changes to SNAP must be understood.

• More children, seniors, and veterans will go hungry. While the NC food banks provided over 250 million meals in the past year; SNAP provided 9 times that many, so there is no way the private sector can compensate for significant cuts to SNAP.

• Families losing SNAP benefits who were using them to purchase produce, meat and dairy products will be forced to stretch further their modest food budgets and buy more cheap, unhealthy food.

• Jobs will be lost in our grocery retailers.

• American farmers will lose markets and some may face foreclosure.

• State and local taxes will be increased.

NC DHHS warns that North Carolina could be forced to cover up to 15% of SNAP benefit costs under the Senate plan — or risk being forced to withdraw from the program entirely.

• Based on our state’s current payment error rate, North Carolina would face a 10% cost share — about $280 million each year.

• The revised plan would also shift more administrative costs to states and counties — increasing their share from 50% to 75%. Counties alone could be on the hook for an extra $65 million each year.

These cuts will not make SNAP more efficient or put families back to work — they will push more families into crisis while shifting new costs to our grocers and taxpayers,” said Eric Aft, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina. “If these cuts go through, food banks will be the last line of defense — but we cannot fill a gap this big. Families will have no choice but to rely on cheaper, unhealthy food, directly undermining the Make America Healthy Again goals. The result: more hungry children, seniors, and working families today — and a population with more health problems and a weaker workforce tomorrow.”