The Trump administration is looking to take away some of the power that many states have to automatically enroll people who are receiving welfare benefits into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps or in New Jersey, Family First according to Bloomberg Business reports.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said about 36 million Americans received an average of $121 monthly in food stamps as of April of this 2019.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration said 3 million should be affected when proposed new regulations go into effect later this week.
Bloomberg Business said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the administration focused on many states that “misused this flexibility.”
“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,” Perdue said.
Congressional leaders, in particular, Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow immediately spoke out against the cuts:
“This rule would take food away from families, prevent children from getting school meals, and make it harder for states to administer food assistance.”
Officials say the new proposed regulations would only allow people who receive welfare benefits of at least $50 a month for at least six months on an ongoing basis to be automatically enrolled. Those benefits would only include cash, subsidized employment, and work supports, such as transportation and childcare.