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“Spending some time living on this budget gives policymakers a firsthand look at the realities of maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet on an extremely limited budget. It’s not easy, but it’s important for people in Washington to understand what our constituents who rely on SNAP face every day," Murphy said in a statement. "Some lawmakers have proposed steep, damaging cuts to SNAP as part of the Farm Bill here in Congress, and we owe it our constituents to face up to the reality of those cuts."
Murphy was feeling the pinch by midday Monday, tweeting this message from Bradley Airport: "Skipped brkfst, was starving by time I got to BDL. Had to get a bagel for $1.11 - couldn't afford butter or cream cheese."
SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a national anti-hunger initiative. As of January, a total of 427,000 Connecticut residents were in the program, or 12 percent of the state’s population. Nearly 61 percent of SNAP participants are in families with children, and more than 33 percent of SNAP participants are in families with elderly or disabled members. About a third of SNAP participants are in working families.
Murphy will keep track of his meals and post observations throughout the week via Twitter and Facebook.
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