President Donald Trump’s administration’s planned cuts to food assistance benefits would throw millions of people off the program.
The Department of Agriculture announced on Tuesday that it would be closing a “loophole” in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program that allows recipients to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
According to CNN, the move could end up kicking more than 3 million people off the program.
The administration claims the loophole allows people to get assistance “when they clearly don’t need it.”
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said in a statement that states have “misused this flexibility without restraint.”
“The American people expect their government to be fair, efficient, and to have integrity – just as they do in their own homes, businesses, and communities,” Perdue said. “That is why we are changing the rules, preventing abuse of a critical safety net system, so those who need food assistance the most are the only ones who receive it.”
The administration claims the proposal will move participants “towards self-sufficiency,” a common refrain among Republicans when citing reasons for slashing security net benefits.
