WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, on Thursday shed light on the Trump administration’s pending rules to decrease eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In a video, Murphy urged constituents to post comments on the rules through a link on our website: murphy.senate.gov/SNAP.

“On the campaign trail, President Trump said he was going to ‘fix poverty.’ I know this is going to shock you, but he didn’t mean it, and now he’s doing the exact opposite. Right now, President Trump is attempting to dramatically roll back benefits on one of the most important programs that helps low-wage workers, seniors, people with disabilities, and children,” Murphy said in the video announcing the campaign.

Murphy added: “We need to tell the administration how harmful these changes in SNAP rules are for Connecticut and you can help. You can find out how to submit a comment to the Trump administration on this threat to nutritional benefits at murphy.senate.gov/SNAP.”

“SNAP is a lifeline to families and kids throughout Connecticut and we all have to stand up to this administration when they attack our most vulnerable in America,” Murphy concluded. 

In September, Murphy and the Connecticut Congressional Delegation sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging the Trump administration to rescind its harmful new proposed rule that makes changes to SNAP’s Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility. Tens of thousands of individuals and families in Connecticut would see their benefits decrease or lose them completely under this new rule. SNAP is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger, providing essential nutrition benefits to working families, children, senior citizens, and disabled individuals in every state and town in our country. In Connecticut, 78% of all SNAP households either are working or have worked in the past year. Low-income children participation in SNAP are 18% more likely to graduate from high school. In 2013, Murphy spent a week living on $4.80/day food stamp budget to gain firsthand understanding into the realities for so many Americans. 

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