The Trump administration released a budget proposal Monday that beefs up military and border security spending, while slashing funds for domestic programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid.
Some advocates — like James Gagne, who heads the Veterans Housing Services at Preble Street — say they’re worried Trump’s budget could threaten many Mainers. Gagne works closely with veterans experiencing homelessness and he says SNAP is a lifeline for many of them.
“Those are veterans that are trying to get back to work, trying to get their health care needs met, and they’re faced with sometimes humanly insurmountable barriers. And so, cutting SNAP further just adds another barrier and another layer to folks getting back on their feet,” he says.
About 1 in 7 Mainers relies on SNAP, and Trump’s proposed budget includes a 30 percent reduction in SNAP benefits.
The budget proposal needs to go through both chambers of Congress and has little, if any, chance of being passed as written.