Now that Congress has averted a federal government shutdown, all eyes turn to the 2012 budget. President Obama announced his budget proposal in February, and recently House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R – WI) announced his budget proposal. The U.S. House of Representatives will take up Mr. Ryan’s bill in the coming weeks. It’s very important that we all understand what Mr. Ryan’s proposal means to Arkansas.

Unfortunately we see several flaws with Mr. Ryan’s proposal. In addition to needless spending caps and a reckless gamble with Medicaid, this plan cuts food assistance very, very deeply. SNAP funds (formerly food stamps) provide nutrition assistance for those living in poverty. Without this program thousands more Arkansas children would go hungry every day.

Please take a look at some work from our trusted partners at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. They’ve outlined the cuts to SNAP and asked relevant questions that the Ryan Proposal fails to address. What we know for certain is that this budget proposal would absolutely mean more people living in poverty in Arkansas will go without food than what we see today.