Liz Burke, WPRO News
Congressman Jim Langevin and several of his colleagues have announced their participation in the SNAP Challenge.
The challenge is designed to protest the nutrition assistance cuts proposed in the Republican Farm Bill. Those participating will be limiting their food budgets to $4.50 per day which is the amount a person receives from the food stamp program.
“In the wealthiest nation in human history, it is unconscionable that every American cannot afford life’s basic necessities,” said Langevin. “I am proud to join my colleagues participating in the SNAP Challenge. Every member of Congress should know what it’s like to live on $4.50 per day, to know the pain of going to bed hungry, and to understand the full gravity of the decisions we make. When you take food off the plates of hungry children, you have a moral obligation to understand the consequences.”
The House will be considering the Farm Bill on Tuesday, June 18. According to a news release, nearly thirty members of the House Democratic Caucus are planning on participating in the SNAP Challenge.
