Iowa Republicans are putting forward a bill that would discourage the people who need help the most from applying for food assistance.
Axios reported:
A portion of the bill recommends narrowing SNAP food purchases to only what is on the state’s approved WIC list, which is meant to be a supplemental nutritional aid for women, infants and children.
Proposed restrictions:
No white grains — people can only purchase 100% whole wheat bread, brown rice and 100% whole wheat pasta.
No baked, refried or chili beans — people can purchase black, red and pinto beans.
No fresh meats — people can purchase only canned products like canned tuna or canned salmon.
No sliced, cubed or crumbled cheese. No American cheese.
The proposed legislation also attacks the state’s Medicaid recipients.
The WIC list is for expectant and new mothers, infants, and children. The list is designed to promote healthy eating. It is not supposed to be weaponized against the state’s lower-income residents to be used as a disincentive to discourage the people who need help the most from applying for SNAP benefits.
The average SNAP benefit is an estimated $155/month in Iowa, which is not enough provide a healthy diet to an individual at the nation’s current food prices. If the state’s Republicans were interested in promoting healthier diets, they would increase their share of SNAP funding to make it easier for people to obtain healthier foods.
I am a strong advocate for healthy diets because they lead to better health outcomes, but what Iowa Republicans are proposing is not related to the health and wellness of a vulnerable population.
It is all about discouraging hungry people who wouldn’t be able to feed themselves for the month on the state’s current SNAP benefit anyway from applying for help.
Trump got House Republicans to not use reconciliation to cut Social Security. The problem is…
President-elect Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson have agreed to a deal that would fund the…
Donald Trump demanded that the debt limit be raised as part of the government funding…
Donald Trump and JD Vance are blaming President Biden for the havoc caused by Elon…
The first little bit of pressure involving passing a bill to keep the government open…
X boss Elon Musk is throwing a tantrum on his social media platform as House…
This website uses cookies.