WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and Republicans are at odds over federal spending and whether to tighten “work requirements” in certain federal programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
People sometimes refer to SNAP’s program as “food stamps.” This is because the government used to hand out physical paper stamps to citizens to redeem food at grocery stores. However, the term is now misleading. SNAP has operated using debit cards for the past 20 years and officially changed its name in 2008.
And there are problems with the old name. According to liberal pollster Data for Progress, which tested different terms in separate groups earlier this year, voters feel differently about whether the program is called “SNAP” or “food stamps.” .
investigation A survey found that 70% of voters support increased funding for supplemental nutrition programs and 60% of voters from other groups support increased funding for food stamps. There was a 10-point gap between Democrats and Republicans.
Data for Progress also found voters were familiar with the new name and its acronym, with 83% saying they had heard of SNAP and 74% saying they had heard of supplemental nutrition assistance programs. It was also found that
“In 2023, no one walks to the checkout with a paper stamp anymore,” said Matthew Cortland, a senior researcher at Data for Progress, in an email. “SNAP is a critical program that will help keep food on the table for millions of Americans at a time of high food inflation. came. ”
The term “food stamps” can also give the wrong impression about the beneficiaries of the program.For example, a 2018 HuffPost/YouGov survey found that most Voters believe that most of those eligible for food stamps are black, even though more whites receive SNAP benefits than blacks in America.
The program serves more than 20 million households each month and benefits a family of three an average of $577. With some exceptions, this money can only be used for grocery items at the supermarket. Most beneficiary households have children, senior Americans, or people with disabilities.
Republicans want to cut enrollment numbers for non-disabled childless adults as part of a broader bill to cut federal spending and raise the “debt ceiling,” the legal limit on government borrowing. If House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Republican, California) cannot reach a deal with President Joe Biden, the government could default next month, hurting the economy.
For the most part, policymakers participating in the debate have avoided using the old name for SNAP. Even if the media are not. So far this year, the term “food stamps” has been uttered on the floor of the House or Senate only eight times, with references evenly divided between parties, according to a survey of congressional records. But Republicans often use the term “welfare,” perhaps with more racial connotations, as an umbrella term for federal programs for low-income families.
While the White House has shown some willingness to tighten the eligibility of unemployed adults to receive benefits from federal programs, Biden has suggested that changing SNAP would be a tall order. there is
Biden said on Sunday, “We intend to agree to a deal that would jeopardize food aid for about 100 — excuse me — nearly a million Americans while protecting wealthy tax evaders and crypto traders. no,’ he said.