WASHINGTON, D.C. — Accusing his Republican colleagues in Congress of being “too scared to stand up to their leadership,” namely, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern is co-sponsoring a new bill designed to block “backdoor” cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP.)

McGovern filed the Hunger Free Future Act last week along with U.S. Reps. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, and Jahana Hayes, D-Connecticut.

The bill is in response to a House Republican budget resolution, which passed in February, that calls for $230 billion through 2034 in agriculture-related cuts. SNAP benefits fall under agriculture, leading to concerns about cuts.

Brown characterizes the cuts as a “heartless, gutless, shameless scheme” that will mean at least 40 million people, including children, seniors and veterans, could struggle to get access to a healthy meal.

Brown joined McGovern and Hayes on the steps of the Capitol last Tuesday to introduce the new bill that has been cosponsored by 56 of their colleagues in the House of Representatives.

The average SNAP benefit is $6 a day, or $2 a meal, according to the sponsors of the bill.

“That’s not even enough for a cup of goddamn coffee in the Capitol,” said McGovern, a member of the House Agriculture Committee. He added that, “the SNAP benefit is already inadequate.”

One way Democrats say the Republican-backed resolution would achieve the cuts to SNAP is by targeting changes to the Thrifty Food Plan, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture uses to determine how much money families can receive. The Thrifty plan is the cost of groceries needed to provide a healthy, budget-conscious diet for a family of four. SNAP benefit amounts are updated each June based on this cost, and they take effect Oct. 1.

The bill filed by House Democrats last week would prohibit the USDA secretary from issuing a “reevaluation that would result in an increase in food insecurity.” It would require that any updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, which Brown said is “the very foundation of SNAP benefits,” do not result in an increase in hunger among low-income families.

More specifically, according to the bill, the “number of households that lack adequate food as a result of having insufficient money and other resources to acquire food,” could not increase as a result of adjustments to the Thrifty Food Plan.

The bill, the three legislators concurred, shouldn’t be controversial, and they called for bipartisan support. They said the real motivation behind the SNAP cuts is to help pay for tax cuts for the rich.

Brown said the cuts to SNAP means parents will need to decide between feeding their families or paying the rent. Many seniors will need to choose between a meal or being able to afford medications. And veterans, she said, will have to “take on the challenges of civilian life on an empty stomach.”

“For what — to fund tax giveaways for billionaires?” said Brown.

She added, “These cuts aren’t about fiscal responsibility. These cuts aren’t about economic efficiency ... They are about cruelty, plain and simple.”

Samuel Gelinas can be reached at sgelinas@gazettenet.com.