NEBRASKA FOR US, FOOD PANTRIES SOUND ALARM ABOUT FOOD INSECURITY & PROPOSED SNAP CUTS

OMAHA, Nebraska (June 22, 2024)—Nebraska For Us, Black Men United, and other partners including OpenSky Policy Institute, are sounding the alarm about growing food insecurity in the metro. On top of that, House Republicans—including Congressman Don Bacon—already voted their version of this year’s Farm Bill out of the House Agriculture Committee on May 24 and included tens of billions of dollars in cuts to SNAP benefits. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the House Committee on Agriculture’s advanced bill will cut funds for SNAP benefits by $30 billion.

The bill limits the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ability to make increases to the Thrifty Food Plan, which is the USDA’s estimated family food budget that determines the amount of SNAP benefits. At a time when costs are high, this provision would only cause more harm to those who need help the most.

“When given the opportunity to remove this provision, Congressman Don Bacon voted against that amendment, choosing to keep SNAP cuts in the Farm Bill,” Nebraska For Us State Director Angie Lauritsen said. “That is unacceptable! We urge him and our other representatives to right the ship and ensure our working class neighbors aren’t harmed by cuts to a program that more than 155,000 Nebraskans count on to help keep their families fed.”

“We hold our drive-thru food pantry twice a month and have cars lining up several hours before we even open our doors,” Black Men United CEO Willie Hamilton said. “We’re seeing the need and demand grow month after month. People are hurting, and we need to be sure we’re doing what we can to help them. We can’t do it alone, though.”

Our area’s food pantries work with SNAP recipients, along with those who do not meet the criteria required to receive those benefits but still need assistance. According to a May 2024 Feeding America report, nearly 60% of food insecure Nebraskans were above the threshold for SNAP in 2022. Just under 270,000 Nebraskans are currently food insecure—13.6% of the state’s population. Cuts to SNAP will only increase the growing strain on alternative resources like food pantries and other community programs.