The National Grocers Association and independent grocers across the U.S. sent a letter to Congress expressing opposition to an effort to limit purchases under the SNAP Program.
The NGA says the Fiscal Year 2024 House Ag Appropriations Bill contains two provisions it believes would undermine SNAP. One is the creation of a pilot program to catalog and restrict SNAP purchases, and the collection of SNAP purchasing data with the aim of restricting SNAP purchases in the future. Almost 2,500 NGA members from across the country and in every Congressional district signed the letter.
“The dietary needs of the SNAP population are diverse, and no one diet would be appropriate for all participants,” the letter says.
The grocers also say the proposed provisions and NGA’s response come at a time of greater food insecurity for Americans. A recent study says 36 percent of U.S. families have recently skipped meals due to financial reasons.