McGovern Calls Out Speaker Ryan Over Block Grant System

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Speaker Paul Ryan

Congressman Jim McGovern called out Speaker Paul Ryan for his plan to shift the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to a block grant system at Tuesday's House Agriculture Nutrition Subcommittee hearing.

“This is the 10th hearing on SNAP. And some have wondered – ‘to what end?’ Well, Speaker Ryan and Republican presidential candidates gave us the answer last Saturday at their so-called forum on poverty in South Carolina. And I have to say, I’m deeply troubled. We’ve known for a long-time that Speaker Ryan supports block granting SNAP. We’ve seen it year after year in his budgets. But, if that’s where all of this is going – that’s bad news for poor people," said McGovern.

The hearing was titled "Past, Present and Future of SNAP: Addressing Special Population," and is the 10th in a series of hearings focused on SNAP. Speaker Ryan highlighted his plan last weekend at a GOP poverty forum that he hosted in South Carolina.

“Proposals like Speaker Ryan’s to block grant SNAP would decimate one of the key features of the program – its ability to quickly respond to an economic downturn. That when the breadwinner in a household loses his or her job, a family can quickly access SNAP to keep food on the table while they get back on their feet," said McGovern.

McGovern concluded “We shouldn’t change the entitlement structure of SNAP. Block granting SNAP is a bad idea. Period. It would make hunger worse in this country and I urge my colleagues to think twice about going down the dangerous road of block grants."