{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140919105315/http://dankildee.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/as-billons-in-cuts-to-food-assistance-take-effect-congressman-dan-kildee", "As Billions in Cuts to Food Assistance Take Effect, Congressman Dan Kildee Urges Congress to Fully Fund SNAP Incentive Programs", "2013-11-01", "2013", "2013-11", "Democrat", "House", "MI", "Dan Kildee", "K000380", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Kildee Writes Farm Bill Conferees Urging Support for the Local Food for Healthy Families Act, Which Would Expand SNAP Incentive Programs\nAs $5 billion in cuts to food assistance take effect today, Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) urged his congressional colleagues in a letter to forgo further deep cuts to nutrition aid and instead incorporate his legislation, the Local Food for Healthy Families Act, into a broader Farm Bill, which would expand incentive programs so those on food stamps can purchase fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables.\nIn a letter today to members of the Farm Bill conference committee, Congressman Kildee asks members to support the \u201cSenate-passed Farm Bill\u2019s level of funding\u201d for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) incentive programs.\n\u201cWith $5 billion in cuts to SNAP set to take place today, and potentially billions in additional cuts, it makes it even more important to fund SNAP incentive programs,\u201d his letter reads.\nIn August, Congressman Kildee introduced the Local Food for Healthy Families Act, which would promote such programs nationwide that would expand access to healthy, fresh and locally-grown fruits and vegetables at participating farmers\u2019 markets. The bill would expand funding for programs like Michigan\u2019s Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB), a food incentive program that gives state residents on food assistance more purchasing power to buy healthy, locally-grown produce.\n\u201cThe harsh cuts to food assistance taking effect today mean that tens of thousands of Michiganders will literally have less food on the table for themselves and their families,\u201d Congressman Kildee said. \u201cWhat\u2019s worse is some in Congress want to enact even deeper cuts, and that is wrong. SNAP provides essential food benefits to people who may be struggling to make ends meet or find a job. These cuts affect people who are literally living paycheck-to-paycheck and meal-to-meal and take food away from the most vulnerable among us, including seniors and children,\u201d Congressman Kildee said.\nCongressman Kildee\u2019s letter today comes as 48 million Americans, including 1.8 million Michiganders, today will see reduced food assistance support. The 13.6 percent cut to food assistance enacted today means that Michigan families on food assistance will lose about $420 a year in benefits, according to the Department of Agriculture.\nIn June, Congressman Kildee lived on an food stamp budget for an average Michigander \u2013 $31.50, or $4.50 a day \u2013 for one week to raise awareness about billions of dollars in SNAP cuts proposed by Republicans. He has been an outspoken fighter and voted against such draconian cuts on several occasions, most recently in July, when the House, on a party-line vote, passed $40 billion in cuts to SNAP.\nCongressman Kildee\u2019s letter to Farm Bill conferees is below.\n11-1-13, Farm Bill Conferees.pdf", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140919105315/http://dankildee.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/as-billons-in-cuts-to-food-assistance-take-effect-congressman-dan-kildee"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8181100711226463, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}