By Michael Bennet and Joe Neguse
In the worst economic and public health crisis in a century, one in three Colorado families does not have enough to eat. This is not only at war with our values, it undermines our response to the pandemic.
Under normal circumstances, proper nutrition is vital to help infants develop and give kids the energy to excel in and out of school. During a pandemic, it’s critical to ensure everyone has a healthy immune system to resist COVID-19. Put simply, strengthening nutrition and fighting the pandemic go hand in hand.
The same is true for supporting our economy. Every dollar spent to help a vulnerable child or family eat is a dollar for our farmers, local groceries, and the millions of workers they employ. As we help families eat, we help stabilize the economy.
By far, the most important program to help families access healthy meals is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Before the pandemic, SNAP supported more than 40 million people. Now, it’s become an even more vital lifeline to feed vulnerable kids and families and support local economies.
In fact, SNAP is one of the most effective ways to stimulate the economy during a downturn. Families that receive SNAP benefits spend them quickly, providing a rapid and regular infusion of cash into the local economy. During the Great Recession, one study found that every dollar increase in SNAP benefits generated roughly $1.70 of economic activity.
Despite the program’s benefits, its current design limits the good it can do for our communities. For example, it makes no sense to impose work requirements to receive SNAP benefits when very few jobs are available, compared to the number of people out of work. Moreover, today’s SNAP benefits do not always provide enough to cover what families actually need.
For months, we have heard stories of families waiting for hours on end at food banks and distribution centers across our state. We saw this firsthand when we visited the Community Food Share in Louisville earlier this summer. Since March, the center has distributed more than 1 million pounds of food a month – the most ever in its 40-year history.
Up and down the state, its counterparts have reported record demand and have worked heroically to meet it. These round-the-clock efforts are proof that existing SNAP benefits have fallen far short of what families need.
For all of these reasons, in May, we introduced The Food for Families in Crisis Act, bipartisan legislation to expand SNAP benefits by 15 percent and suspend barriers to that assistance — like work requirements — until the economy recovers. In addition, our proposal would increase the minimum monthly benefit to $30 a person, reduce barriers for vulnerable families to access benefits, and increase funding for food distribution on Indian reservations, where food insecurity remains especially high.
Our proposal is a common-sense way to feed families in need, boost local economies, and keep our communities healthy as we battle the pandemic. Support for our approach continues to grow. In May, the United States House of Representatives passed a SNAP increase consistent with our bill as part of the Heroes Act, and as Congress returns this week to debate a new relief package, we must keep up the pressure to include our proposal. The health of our kids, our families, and our economy hang in the balance.
Michael Bennet represents Colorado in the United States Senate. Joe Neguse represents Colorado’s Second Congressional District, which includes Boulder, in the United States House of Representatives.
