NBC

Trump Plan Didn't Note Threat to 500K Free School Lunches: Dems

A proposed overhaul to the food stamp program did not include the USDA’s own estimate that more than 500,000 children would lose automatic eligibility for free school meals

The Trump administration determined that more than 500,000 children would no longer be automatically eligible for free school meals under a proposed overhaul to the food stamp program, but left that figure out of its formal proposal, NBC News reported, citing House Democrats.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to crack down on eligibility for food stamps, estimating that 3.1 million Americans would lose benefits under the proposed rule that the agency unveiled on Tuesday.

The proposal, however, did not include the USDA’s own estimate that more than 500,000 children would lose automatic eligibility for free school meals under the proposed change, according to Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., chair of the House Committee on Education and Labor.

The agency declined to respond to questions about the rule’s impact, saying that it “cannot provide additional information during the public comment period,” a USDA spokesperson told NBC News.

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