
SNAP increase helped lift nearly 3 million people out of poverty: analysis
An analysis released by the think tank this week said that SNAP benefits rose by 21 percent from 2021 after the Biden administration's reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which is used to determine benefit amounts for the program.
Not accounting for the influence of other pandemic-era efforts, the analysis found that the adjustment helped lift 2.9 million people out of poverty and reduced 'poverty by 4.6 percent in 2021.'
Child poverty also declined due to the higher benefits, the analysis found, noting a reduction in 'the number of children living in poverty by 7.6 percent nationally, or 1.3 million children.'
Researchers said the higher SNAP benefits yielded significant results in places like Alabama, Washington, D.C., Oklahoma, Rhode Island and West Virginia, where the report noted 'increased benefits reduced the number of people living in poverty by over 8 percent.'
A closer look at the numbers also showed the number of children in poverty dropped between 10 and 14 percent in 13 states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina and Ohio.
'The District of Columbia saw the greatest child poverty reduction, a reduction of more than one-third,' the analysis stated.
The analysis comes as advocates and Democrats have raised the alarm over potential SNAP cuts as Republicans ramp up work on a massive tax cuts package that conservatives hope will also include well north of $1 trillion in spending cuts.
The specifics are still unknown as to what will make the cut in the coming plan, as Republicans prepare for a series of markups upon Congress's scheduled return from recess next week in efforts to begin crafting the tax bill.
However, a blueprint for the plan approved by congressional Republicans earlier this month included instructions on the House side for its agriculture committee, which has jurisdiction over SNAP and other food and nutrition programs, to find more than $200 billion in cuts.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Boston Globe
14 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Why Trump continues to lie about the 2020 presidential election
The right results were given in 2020. Trump lost. But nearly five years later, whenever Trump speaks, the question isn't whether he'll find a way to switch the conversation to the 2020 election but when. Given his tendency to babble about inconsequential subjects, it's tempting to dismiss Trump's off-script ramblings. But don't overlook the method behind the madness here. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up From Trump's Advertisement That's what he's doing every time he repeats the Big Lie about 2020. He upholds it as an example of a dishonest election stolen from the people despite no evidence of widespread fraud in that presidential contest. Trump lost because American voters had enough of him. Advertisement The president's motives are clear. He needs Republicans to hold on to the House in 2026 because he knows that if Democrats regain control they'll start impeachment hearings against him as soon as possible. For all his big talk about big wins in his second term, Trump knows that voters, For years, Trump undermined election integrity. As the 2016 presidential contest entered its final weeks, he falsely claimed that the election was This was Trump's hedge against a possible defeat: He could only lose an election if it was rigged against him. Of course, all of his machinations after he lost in 2020 supercharged his baseless allegations, culminating in the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when he attempted to overthrow the outcome of the presidential election. But despite Trump's impeachment for incitement, he hasn't stopped promoting the antidemocratic lie that he was robbed and that election integrity must be restored, while he's doing everything to destroy it. That includes Trump's latest attempt to end mail-in voting by Advertisement Mail-in balloting garnered widespread use during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. According to a Trump remains unswayed. He Seven months into his Trump uses 2020 as a phony example of a crooked election. That's why he brings it up as often as possible and usually in places where he receives no pushback. But the voters he's targeting should also remember 2020 as the year when a historic number of people, despite a pandemic, cast their ballots and tossed this tyrant out of power. Renée Graham is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at


The Hill
14 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump floats air support for Ukraine as part of security guarantees
President Trump is floating providing U.S. pilots and war planes as part of security guarantees for post-war Ukraine as he pushes for an end to Russia's war against the country. Trump has said the U.S. will help Europe craft security guarantees for Ukraine to backstop any peace deal reached with Russia, in lieu of Ukraine joining NATO, a red line for Russia. 'When it comes to security, they are willing to put people on the ground,' Trump said in an interview with Fox News aired Monday evening, referring to Europe. 'We're willing to help them with things, especially, probably, if you talk about by air because nobody has stuff we have.' White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that Trump has tasked his national security team to 'come up with a framework for these security guarantees that can be acceptable to help ensure a lasting peace and end this war.' 'I won't, certainly, rule out anything as far as military options that the president has at his disposal, I'll let him do that,' she said, but added that the president has 'definitively' ruled out boots on the ground. NATO chief Mark Rutte on Monday said Trump's willingness to involve the U.S. in security gaurantees for Ukraine was a 'breakthrough' in the peace process, though details on America's potential role remain scarce. Trump's floating the possibility for air support could mean American pilots engaged in defensive operations, guarding against Russian missiles, or simply providing support for other aircraft – such as air-to-air refueling or for transportation of military equipment. Defensive operations could risk a confrontation between the U.S. and Russia, a scenario that both Trump and former President Biden before him have been anxious to avoid. Biden turned down Ukraine's requests for no-fly zone following Russia's invasion, over concerns it could escalate the conflict and lead to a direct confrontation between nuclear powers.


The Hill
14 minutes ago
- The Hill
California Republicans file suit to halt redistricting plan
California Republican legislators on Tuesday announced a state Supreme Court petition, an effort to stop Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) plan to redistrict House seats in the Golden State. 'Today I joined my colleagues in filing a lawsuit challenging the rushed redistricting process. California's Constitution requires bills to be in print for 30 days, but that safeguard was ignored. By bypassing this provision, Sacramento has effectively shut voters out of engaging in their own legislative process,' Assemblyman Tri Ta said on X. The petition cites a section of the state constitution that requires a month-long review period for new legislation. Democrats are working quickly to set up a special election that would let voters weigh in on the redistricting plan. Four state Republican legislators have signed on to the petition, according to a copy for a writ of mandate, shared by the New York Times. They're asking for immediate relief, no later than Aug. 20, and arguing that action can't be taken on the legislative package before Sep. 18. 'Last night, we filed a petition with the California Supreme Court to stop the California legislature from violating the rights of the people of California,' said Mike Columbo, a partner at Dhillon Law Group, in a Tuesday press conference alongside California Republicans. 'The California constitution clearly gives the people of California the right to see new legislation that the legislature is going to consider, and it gives them the right to review it for 30 days,' Columbo said. California Democrats swiftly introduced the redistricting legislative package when they reconvened after summer break on Monday, and are expected to vote as soon as Thursday. They have until Friday to complete the plan in time to set up a Nov. 4 special election. Columbo called that pace of action a 'flagrant violation' under the state constitution. Democrats are aiming to put a ballot measure before voters that would allow temporary redistricting, effectively bypassing the existing independent redistricting commission — which was approved by voters more than a decade ago and typically redistricts after each census — to redraw lines in direct response to GOP gerrymandering in other states. California Republicans have vowed to fight back. Democrats, on the other hand, are stressing that they're moving transparently to let voters have the final say on whether redistricting happens.