NEWSROOM

The center on yesterday’s vote by the U.S. House of Representative’s Agriculture Committee to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps).

“Yesterday’s vote by the U.S. House of Representative’s Agriculture Committee to cut SNAP by $33 billion will hurt the families struggling to afford food in this time of high unemployment and economic distress. A cut of this magnitude would affect over 300,000 Texas families who will struggle to put food on the table without the support SNAP provides. SNAP was designed to expand when unemployment is high and contract as economic conditions improve. In this way the program assures that Texans stay healthy during period of job loss and stimulates our struggling economy. Cuts to this program will only weaken our nation’s ability to weather these rough economic times and return to prosperity."

Executive Director F. Scott McCown on Texans for a Conservative Budget Coalition’s “Real Texas Budget Solutions: 2013 and Beyond.”

The center on the Congressional House Government Oversight Committee hearing on fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps).

“The Center for Public Policy Priorities shares the federal government’s commitment to safeguard taxpayer dollars and applauds USDA’s success, in partnership with the states, at reducing SNAP fraud to historic lows. Given its efficiency and effectiveness at preventing hunger and reducing food insecurity, we call on Congress to maintain its investment in SNAP and reject any efforts to cut benefits or otherwise undermine the program’s ability to fight hunger.

“SNAP, which helps low-income individuals and families supplement their food resources, is critical in Texas where one in six families struggle to afford food. Over three-quarters of the 3.6 million Texans who receive SNAP benefits are children, seniors, or persons with disabilities. To qualify, a family’s net earnings must be below the federal poverty level, $22,350 for a family of four. The majority of SNAP households include someone who works, and program rules require all able-bodied adults to work to receive benefits."

The center on Texas’ plans to exclude Planned Parenthood from participating in the Women’s Health Program.

“Every one of us wants to live and work in healthy communities where we all have the opportunity to reach our potential. But our state’s elected leaders are pursuing a tragic course that undermines these goals. Effective March 14, the state plans to implement a new rule designed to exclude Planned Parenthood from participating in our state’s Women’s Health Program, but which in reality will destroy the program.

"The Women’s Health Program provides essential well-woman services, including pap smears, birth control, and breast exams to low-income women without health insurance ages 18 to 44. By implementing this new rule, the state provokes an almost certain cut-off of 90 percent of the program’s funds, which come from the federal government."

A national report shows employer-provided health coverage has been on the decline over the last decade, and Texans are among the Americans least likely to be covered by their job, or by their spouse or parent’s job. The report from the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., compares employer-provided health coverage rates for persons under 65 across the states between 2000–01 and 2009–10. While on the decline, however, the report confirms that employer-provided health coverage is still the primary way Americans are covered.

The center on the President’s budget released yesterday:

“The center applauds the President’s budget for the significant progress that it would make toward reducing deficits without undermining our economic recovery or balancing the budget on the backs of the poor and middle class."

In Texas today, 27.7 percent of households are “asset poor,” meaning they have little or no financial cushion to rely on if unemployment or another emergency leads to a loss of income, according to a report from the national nonprofit Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED). Excluding important assets such as a vehicle or home, the (liquid) asset poverty rate increases to 50.6 percent of Texas residents.

Two new national reports on the National School Breakfast Program demonstrate Texas’ strong commitment to improving the nutrition, health, and academic achievement of its students by providing them a nutritious start to the school day.

Federal officials today rejected the Texas Department of Insurance’s (TDI’s) request to delay full implementation of a new rule that requires insurers to increase the value of health insurance or provide rebates to policyholders.

OpportunityTexas, a joint project of CPPP and RAISE Texas working to expand economic opportunity through education and asset building, is entering its second year of promoting savings at community tax centers by providing incentives for low-income filers to save a portion of their tax refunds.