New data recently released by the USDA Economic Research Service indicates about 13% of Nebraskans are food insecure. This means they struggle to put food on their table on a regular basis.
James Goddard of Nebraska Appleseedsays the report covers a 3-year period, 2010-2012.
Goddard says the USDA figure is alarming, and demonstrates the importance of food and nutrition programs such as SNAP.
SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
"The House of Representatives will soon debate a bill that would cut (I think) about $40 billion from the SNAP program which is really alarming looking at how many people are food insecure in our state so we are very concerned about a proposal like that and would urge our members to protect the SNAP program.”
Goddard says 175,000 people in the state of Nebraska rely on SNAP to make ends meet because they don’t earn enough to put food on the table.