House Committee Holds Final SNAP Hearing in Series

On November 16, the House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing, “Past, Present, and Future of SNAP: Opportunities for Improving Access to Food.” The hearing focused on innovative ways to deliver healthy foods to low-income neighborhoods, rural areas, and food deserts, especially in the context of online solutions.

This is the last in a series of hearings on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Other hearings from the series include “Improving Innovation and Success in Employment and Training Programs” (see The Source, 9/16/16), “Addressing Special Populations” (see The Source, 1/15/16), “Breaking the Cycle” (see The Source, 10/15/15), “Developing and Using Evidence-Based Solutions” (see The Source, 7/17/15), “The Means to Climbing the Economic Ladder” (see The Source, 6/12/15), and “The World of Nutrition, Government Duplication, and Unmet Needs” (see The Source, 5/22/15).

The following witnesses testified:

• Eric French, director of Grocery, Amazon;
• Gunnar Lovelace, founder and co-CEO, Thrive Market;
• Mike Beal, chief operating officer, Ball’s Food Stores;
• Pamela Hess, executive director, Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture; and
• Melinda Newport, director, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)/Child Nutrition, Department of Health, Chickasaw Nation.