WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Thursday defended a proposal that would replace a portion of food stamp benefits with pre-assembled boxes of shelf-stable goods delivered to recipients’ doorsteps — an idea one lawmaker called “a cruel joke.”
The idea was first floated last week in the Trump administration’s 2019 budget proposal, tucked inside a larger plan to slash the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, by roughly $213 billion — or 30 percent — over the next 10 years.
The backlash was fierce and immediate, from nutrition experts, advocacy organizations and lawmakers alike. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., top Democrat on the House Agriculture Nutrition Subcommittee, said the proposal is “cruel and demeaning and an awful idea” that would strip families of the ability to choose which groceries they buy. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., wrote on Twitter that as a single mother who once relied on food stamps: “I can’t overstate how offensive this proposal is. Low-income families need more access to fresh produce & healthy foods, not less.”
Rachel Millard, a spokeswoman for House Agriculture Committee Chair Mike Conaway, R-Texas, said last week that the committee heard from more than 80 experts during 21 hearings on SNAP, and none mentioned the idea of a food box.