Redstone Center, School of Public Health Faculty & Staff Recommend Trump Administration Withdraw Proposal to Set Work Requirements for SNAP Beneficiaries

On March 15, 2019, the School of Public Health faculty and staff submitted a public comment recommending the US Department of Agriculture withdraw its proposed rule to impose additional work requirements in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). "Evidence indicates that the proposed policies will create unnecessary harm to the health and wellbeing of large numbers of low-income Americans," write the signatories, citing the Administration's omission of research on potential benefits or harms, and the 'fail[ure] to meet a standard of due diligence in regulatory development or impact analysis." The comment evidence contradicting claims that such work requirement would increase self-sufficiency and other social benefits, and in fact, would cause harm to health, local economies, increase food insecurity, and potentially increase Federal and state Medicaid expenditures. The harms, they write, would be borne disproportionately by the poorest Americans. Faculty signatories to the comment drafted by Leighton Ku are Sara Rosenbaum, William Dietz, Kim Robien, and Uri Colon-Ramos. Staff signatories from the Redstone Center are Jeff Hild, Caitlin Murphy, and Andrian McAdams, and Erin Brantley from the Health Policy and Management Department. Read the full comment here.