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PARAMOUNT+. AND RETURNING CBS
FALL.
>> AN IMPORTANT CHANGE IS COMING
FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IS
ENDING A DECADES LONG EFFORT TO
TRACK FOOD INSECURITY ACROSS THE
COUNTRY. THE HOUSEHOLD FOOD
SECURITY REPORT IS WHAT IT'S
CALLED, AND IT PROVIDES YEARLY
DATA ON THE LACK OF ACCESS TO
ADEQUATE NUTRITION FOR LOW
INCOME AMERICANS. IT'S BEEN
USED BY FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL
OFFICIALS TO HELP SET POLICY ON
FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. THE
LATEST REPORT FOUND 18 MILLION
HOUSEHOLDS WERE FOOD INSECURE
BACK IN 2023, AND THAT IS UP
FROM 17 MILLION BACK IN 2022. A
FINAL REPORT FOR 2024 WILL BE
RELEASED NEXT MONTH. AND AS FOR
WHY THESE HOUSEHOLD FOOD
SECURITY REPORTS ARE ENDING, THE
USDA RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING
IN PART, THESE REDUNDANT,
COSTLY, POLITICIZED AND
EXTRANEOUS STUDIES DO NOTHING
MORE THAN FEAR MONGER. JOINING
US NOW TO TALK ABOUT THIS IS
CRAIG GUNDERSEN. HE'S A
PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AT BAYLOR
UNIVERSITY, ALSO A FORMER USDA
ECONOMIST. THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT ALL
THIS AND BREAK THIS DOWN. SO
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT COMES AT A
TIME WHEN THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION IS CRACKING DOWN
ON OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS
OVER DATA IT CONSIDERS TO BE
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. IN YOUR
OPINION, WERE THESE REPORTS
CONSIDERED TO BE PARTIZAN IN ANY
WAY?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT. THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR FOR HAVING ME ON HERE
AND ASKING ME THIS QUESTION. NO,
THESE WERE NONPARTISAN IS
THEY'VE BEEN WIDELY USED TO
EXAMINE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN
POSED BY REGARDING THE EFFICACY
OF RIGHT LEANING POLICIES AND
LEFT LEANING POLICIES, AND BY NO
MEANS WAS IT EVER A PARTISAN
TOOL. IN FACT, IT'S BECOME THE
LEADING INDICATOR OF WELL-BEING
FOR VULNERABLE AMERICANS, AN
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO OUR
BIPARTISAN EFFORTS TO ALLEVIATE
FOOD INSECURITY IN THE UNITED
STATES.
>> SO, CRAIG, AS WE MENTIONED,
THESE REPORTS HELP STATE AND
FEDERAL OFFICIALS DECIDE ON
POLICY TO TO FIGHT FOOD
INSECURITY. AND THEY ALSO
MEASURE, OF COURSE, HOW THESE
FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS ARE
WORKING. WHAT WILL BE THE
GUIDANCE ON THAT AND THOSE
DECISIONS GOING FORWARD?
>> SO AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS
BECAUSE OF THIS STUDY AND OTHER
USES OF THESE FOOD INSECURITY
QUESTIONS, AS WE'VE BEEN ABLE
TO DEMONSTRATE THAT SNAP IS
ARGUABLY THE MOST EFFECTIVE
GOVERNMENT PROGRAM WE HAVE SETS
OUT TO ALLEVIATE FOOD INSECURITY
AND STUDY AFTER STUDY AFTER
STUDY HAS SHOWN THAT IT DOES,
INCLUDING THE DATA THAT'S
COLLECTED BY USDA THROUGH THE
SURVEY. MY CONCERN IS THAT AS WE
MAKE FUTURE CHANGES TO SNAP IN
VARIOUS DIRECTIONS IS WITHOUT
THIS DATA, WE'RE NOT GOING TO
BE ABLE TO SAY, IS THIS WORKING?
IS THIS NOT WORKING? WE REALLY,
REALLY NEED THIS DATA TO BE
EFFECTIVE STEWARDS OF TAXPAYERS
MONEY.
>> AND IT'S NOT JUST NIXING A
REPORT HERE. IT ALSO COMES AS
STEEP CUTS TO USDA PROGRAMS THAT
PROVIDE FOOD TO SCHOOLS AND FOOD
BANKS GO INTO EFFECT. WHAT IS
YOUR SENSE OF THE IMPACT ON
AMERICANS WHO ARE ALREADY
STRUGGLING TO ACCESS ADEQUATE
NUTRITION?
>> SO I THINK WE DO ABSOLUTELY
NEED TO HAVE A STRONG SOCIAL
SAFETY NET AGAINST HUNGRY UNITED
STATES AND SNAP AND OUR NETWORK
OF FOOD BANKS IS JUST INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT TO THOSE EFFORTS. SO
MY CONCERN THAT WE'RE NOT GOING
TO HAVE THIS MEASURE IS THAT
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO
SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE
IMPLICATIONS OF THESE CUTS AND
OTHER POSSIBLE CHANGES TO SNAP
AND TO PROVISIONS TO FOOD BANKS.
>> ALL RIGHT. CR
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