Americans Broadly Support SNAP and Oppose Significant Reductions

<p>By Jennifer Hatcher, Chief Public Policy Officer and SVP, Government and Member Relations, FMI</p><img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/family-shopping-for-produce.tmb-large-350-.jpg?Culture=en&amp;sfvrsn=4a0a9e9f_1" style="margin-bottom:10px;float:right;margin-left:10px;" class="-align-right" alt="Family Shopping for Produce" sf-size="100" /><p>In an increasingly polarized political climate, few public programs receive consistent support across party lines. Yet, a recent <a href="https://www.fmi.org/docs/default-source/facts-about-snap-toolkit/fmi-national-snap-survey_05-07-25.pdf?sfvrsn=edefdedd_1">national survey</a> of voters conducted by FMI with Fabrizio, Lee &amp; Associates in late April – published on our new website <a href="http://factsaboutSNAP.org">FactsAboutSNAP.org</a> – revealed that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) continues to enjoy broad-based approval among voters of all political stripes to ensure that our fellow Americans do not go hungry during their most challenging times.</p><p>The poll found that an overwhelming majority (81%) of voters say their cost of living is up in the past year and 61% believe it will go up in the next year. The number one concern among these voters was affording groceries. That the cost of food is top of mind for voters is an important consideration as the SNAP funding debate plays out.<span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"></span></p><p>According to the survey, 64% of Americans hold a favorable opinion of SNAP, compared to just 14% who view it unfavorably. Support for the program is strongest among Democrats (+82 net favorability), but a majority of Independents and Republicans also express positive views&mdash;underscoring SNAP&rsquo;s enduring popularity as a hunger program across the ideological spectrum.</p><p>The numbers are even stronger when respondents were asked directly whether they favor or oppose the SNAP program: 70% expressed support, with only 15% opposed.</p><p>These findings come at a time when debates over the future of SNAP and similar critical hunger programs are once again front and center in Washington. The survey indicates that the extent of proposed cuts to SNAP benefits are out of step with public opinion. This resistance to cuts is especially pronounced among Democrats and Independents, though Republicans are more divided on the issue&mdash;only slightly favoring cuts by a 10-point margin.</p><p>Voters who oppose cuts are motivated by core values and economic realities. Among their reasons: the belief that everyone deserves access to food (28%), that SNAP helps low-income families (25%), the reality that many people rely on the program (21%), and concerns about the rising cost of living (12%).</p><p>Voting to cut or restrict SNAP is electorally problematic for lawmakers. Only 17% of voters would be more likely to vote for a Senator or Representative in Congress who voted to cut or restrict SNAP, while 48% would be less likely to vote for lawmakers who reduce benefits, reduce beneficiaries, or push the funding challenges down to the states.<span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"></span></p><p>Beyond funding issues for SNAP, there is an active debate over governance of the SNAP program &ndash; whether it maintains the same federal single set of rules for the program, as it has been for 70 years as to avoid a messy patchwork of state SNAP rules that could increase program costs, or if states should be able to make decisions about the federal SNAP program. As lawmakers ponder this and as some states apply with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to change SNAP in their states, the polling found that by a 57% to 39% margin, voters want one national standard on what can and cannot be bought with SNAP.</p><p>Taken together, these findings suggest that the program’s central mission&mdash;helping Americans afford the food they need&mdash;is widely recognized and valued. As policymakers weigh changes to federal nutrition assistance, the message from voters is clear: SNAP is a popular and essential component of America&rsquo;s strategy to combat hunger.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.factsaboutsnap.org" class="button">Get Additional Facts About SNAP</a></p>

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