House nutrition-only farm bill passes, harmful to Colorado’s residents and economy
Statement by Kathy Underhill, executive director for Hunger Free Colorado, in response to today’s passage of the Nutrition Reform and Opportunity Act (217-210 vote) in the U.S. House of Representatives, which would slash the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by $40 billion over the next 10 years:
“I am deeply disappointed by this vote; the 217 members who favor the cuts to SNAP demonstrate a lack of understanding about the plight of many Americans.
If passed, the House cuts will cause more than 55,000 Coloradans to be cut from the program altogether, resulting in children going to bed hungry and older adults having to choose between medicine and food. It will also result in deep losses among grocery retailers and those whose jobs depend on the food retail supply chain.
Hunger is a serious problem in our state that affects everyone. Instead of making harmful cuts, we need to protect SNAP so we can ensure that all Coloradans—from children to seniors— have access to nutritious, affordable food.
Those voting for the cuts are short-sighted and certainly don’t represent the 500,000 Coloradans on SNAP who struggle to put food on their tables every day. I hope that logic prevails, and these these irresponsible and harmful cuts do not make it into law.”
Media Contact: Michelle Ray, Director of Communications, (720) 432-0255