By Feeding America Grace Segers
The newly passed Republican bill slashing government spending and expanding tax breaks primarily for the wealthy has left the food banks that serve vulnerable populations all across the nation reeling, with leaders warning that cuts to food assistance programs and other benefits could force millions of Americans to seek help from charitable organizations lacking the infrastructure to pick up the slack.
The law dramatically slashes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid, with the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimating that millions of people could see reductions or altogether lose their benefits. Sixty percent of SNAP recipients also participate in Medicaid, and 40 percent of Medicaid participants are enrolled in SNAP鈥攁n overlap that means millions of low-income families will be doubly affected by the cuts. The measure tightens work requirements for both Medicaid and SNAP, and pushes much of the cost of SNAP onto states鈥攂oth administrative costs and benefit amounts鈥攚hich could