Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)
WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) is joining his Republican colleagues in the house in announcing a new bill that he says would encourage able-bodied Americans to seek work if they are also seeking assistance from the federal government’s food stamp program – now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – or “SNAP.”
On Monday, Reed said that the house this week will consider adjustments to the SNAP program and address what he believes are inadequacies in the current system. Reed says one of the highlights of the bill is an effort to encourage able-bodied adults without children or other dependents to work and seek job training activities.
Reed says the provision, if put into place, would help reduce the amount of federal money and other resources spent on food stamps while also removing many Americans from a long-term dependence on the program.
“To me, that’s what we went to Washington to do – to downsize this Government. But also, do it in a way that recognizes there are going to be people that need that helping hand and we’re not going to talk about removing that helping hand,” Reed explained on Monday. “What we’re going to do is empower individuals through these programs so that they get back to work and they control their destinies as individuals.”
Reed says the one provision alone would end up saving the federal government an estimated $20,000,000 over ten years. If all the provisions from the Republican Bill were put into place, it could save as much as $40,000,000 over ten years.
The House was expected to vote on a nutrition title this week that reforms the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a program that has not seen any reforms since 1996.
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