Expansion of Harsh Time Limits on SNAP in Debt Ceiling Agreement Will Fuel Rates of Hunger and Poverty Across Maryland

Media Contact:
Brittani Riddle
briddle@frac.org
202-640-1089, ext. 3039

Statement attributable to Michael J. Wilson, Director, Maryland Hunger Solutions 

BALTIMORE, June 1, 2023 — While Maryland Hunger Solutions recognizes raising the debt ceiling is necessary, we also firmly believe that the policy decisions that were made as part of this overall bill were politically motivated but are not reflective of the needs of Maryland residents.  

It is especially frustrating that the expansion of time limits for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients under the misnomer of “work requirements” will result in more poverty and food insecurity for thousands of our neighbors here in Maryland. This decision ignores the growing number of individuals with low incomes, and workers without health care, retirement income, or full-time employment, which does not let them escape poverty. It also ignores the hunger cliff that is currently affecting over 675,000 people in Maryland with the end of SNAP Emergency Allotments in March.  

Food for hungry people should not have a time limit.  SNAP needs to be expanded to ensure equitable access for all eligible participants. 

Furthermore, limiting access to critical social safety net programs such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, The Emergency Food Assistance Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Assistance Program, Head Start, and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program will have a detrimental impact on tens of thousands of Marylanders and millions of people across the country, further exacerbating the dire situation many are facing. 

We expect that there will be opportunities in the future to affect policy changes to address food insecurity, disturbances to our food systems, and what investments should be made to address these issues. As an organization that assists and interacts with SNAP applicants and participants across the state, we want to ensure that policy decisions reflect the needs of people in Maryland. 

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About Maryland Hunger Solutions  

Maryland Hunger Solutions works to end hunger and improve the nutrition, health, and well-being of Maryland residents. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.  

The Food Research & Action Center improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit FRAC.org and follow on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.