Budget Chairman Arrington, Health Care Task Force Chair Moore Applaud CBO’s Call to Study on Cutting Health Costs by Improving SNAP Nutrition Standards
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) and Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), who chairs the Committee’s Health Care Task Force, praised the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) call for research related to the budgetary effects of policies to improve nutrition standards in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Statement from Chairman Arrington:
“Prior to President Trump’s return to office, both the fiscal and physical health of our nation were on an unsustainable path. Our ever-increasing $36 trillion national debt exceeds the size of the U.S. economy and is driven in part by the rapid rise of chronic disease and obesity.
“Thankfully, the Trump Administration is committed to Making America Healthy Again. My colleagues and I are prioritizing efforts to improve health outcomes associated with federal nutrition programs while preserving taxpayer dollars.
“I applaud the Congressional Budget Office’s commitment on a scoring methodology that accounts for future SNAP policies and their impact on the well-being of enrollees and their long-term health outcomes. This is not only important to the health of vulnerable Americans who depend on SNAP, but important for stewarding tax dollars for the fiscal health of our nation.”
Statement from Health Care Task Force Chair Moore:
“Healthy diets lower costs to our health care system and are key to personal wellbeing. In its current form, SNAP is in many cases enabling food deserts and costly chronic conditions like diabetes in America’s poorest communities. As the Chair of the Health Care Task Force, I look forward to collaborating with the Congressional Budget Office and my fellow Budget Committee members to assess the budgetary impacts of establishing health criteria to SNAP so we can ensure recipients have access to healthy options and Congress has information on SNAP’s impact on federal health care spending.”
BACKGROUND:
Today, acting at the request of Chairman Arrington, CBO issued a public blog post, “A Call for New Research in the Area of Nutritional Standards in SNAP,” providing an opportunity for new research to inform CBO’s analysis of the budgetary effects of policies that impact the health outcomes of SNAP enrollees.
SNAP plays a crucial role in supporting food security for vulnerable populations. However, it often fails to provide a nutritious diet to participants. According to the Foundation for Government Accountability, SNAP enrollees’ Healthy Eating Index scores—a measure of diet quality—are significantly worse than individuals not on SNAP, even among those with the same income levels. Soda is the most commonly purchased commodity with SNAP benefits, and sweetened beverages and candy account for 11 percent of all SNAP spending.
Almost 70 percent of SNAP recipients aged 50 to 64 have reported a diagnosis of diet-related diseases and research shows adult SNAP recipients are much more likely to be obese than low-income non-recipients and high-income non-recipients. Chronic disease remains a significant concern in the United States, accounting for almost 20 percent of annual health care costs from heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. The lack of nutrition standards within SNAP makes it the only federal nutrition program without such guidelines, which may exacerbate these health issues.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Improved nutrition standards in SNAP could positively impact the health outcomes of Americans and the federal budget by reducing health care expenses. The House Budget Committee is fully committed to Making America Healthy Again and will continue to work with CBO and outside stakeholders to examine and support policies that improve health outcomes and reduce unnecessary federal spending.
