Increased Snap Benefits Helping Americans in Times of Need

It's a huge chunk of money every month, two billion dollars more to the federal govenment's snap program while that helps with uncertainty caused by coronavirus.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S SNAPFOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ISGETTING AHUGE BOOST.... BUT HOW LONG WILLTHAT LAST?AND ARE FUTURE CUTS INEVITABLE?CHRIS STEWART TAKES A CLOSERLOOK... AS THE COUNTRY BEGINS TOREBOUND.TRACK: LIFE CAN CHANGE IN ANINSTANT.TRACK: JENNY SHOWALTER CAN TELLYOU THAT.2:26"JENNY: IM A SINGLE MOM OF TWO.I HAVE A ONE YEAR OLD AND A SIXYEAR OLD I BASICALLY BECAME ASINGLEMOM OVERNIGHT A SINGLE MOM OFTWO OVERNIGHT THEIR FATHERPASSED AWAY IN THE END OFOCTOBER2018."TRACK: SHE CAN ALSO TELL YOUABOUT BEING A SINGLE MOM,LOOKING FOR WORK IN A PANDEMIC,WITH TWO KIDSNOW HOME AROUND THE CLOCK.7:01JENNY: "IT'S JUST IMPOSSIBLE TOFIND EMPLOYMENT.AND HAVE HOURSENOUGH TO PAY MYBILLS, TO PAY MY CAR INSURANCETO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE TO BUYDIAPERS TO BUY WIPES.THERE ARESO MANY THINGS A SINGLE MOTHERHAS TO BUY A DAILY WEEKLYMONTHLY THAT FOOD IS NEARLYIMPOSSIBLEANYMORE."TRACK: THAT IS WHY SHE IS ONE OFTHE ESTIMATED 36 MILLIONAMERICANS ON SNAP.TRACK: WITH CORONAVIRUS HURTINGBUSINESS AND PUTTING PEOPLE OUTOF WORK NATIONWIDE....TRACK: THE GOVERNMENT IS GIVINGSNAP AN EMERGENCY BOOST.INCREASING MONTHLYBENEFITS BY 40-PERCENT.5:42 "THERE IS NO LIVING HIGHOFF THE HOG WHEN YOU'RE ON SNAPBENEFITS."TRACK: AMY JO HUTCHISON HASLIVED IN POVERTY ALL HER LIFE.TRACK: SHE USED TO BE ON SNAPHERSELF.3:28AMY JO TESTIMONY: "I ALSO READTHAT EACH SENATOR WAS AUTHORIZEDALMOST 40-THOUSAND DOLLARS FORSTATE OFFICE FURNITURE ANDFURNISHINGS AND THIS NUMBER ISINCREASED EACH YEAR TO REFLECTINFLATION.THAT THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR INFURNITURE IS 360 DOLLARS MORETHAN THE FEDERAL POVERTYGUIDELINES FOR A FAMILY OF 7."TRACK: IN FEBRUARY, HERCONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY ONPOVERTY IN AMERICA WENT VIRAL.4:50AMY JO TESTIMONY: "SHAME ON YOU,SHAME ON YOU, SHAME ON ME ANDSHAME ON EACH AND EVERY ONE OFUS WHO HAVEN'T RATTLED THEWINDOWS OF THESE BUILDINGS WITHCRIES OF OUTRAGE THAT AGOVERNMENT THINKS THEIR OFFICEFURNITURE IS WORTHY OF THOUSANDDOLLARS A YEAR ANDFAMILIES AND CHILDREN AREN'T."TRACK: EARLIER THIS YEAR, THEWHITE HOUSE PROPOSED 2021 BUDGETCALLED FOR $181 BILLION DOLLARSIN CUTS TO SNAP OVER THE NEXTDECADE.TRACK: IT ALSO INCLUDED STRICTERWORK REQUIREMENTS TO RECEIVEBENEFITS.

A MOVE, THEN,THEY SAID WOULD ENCOURAGERECIPIENTS TO "MOVE TOWARDSELF-SUFFICIENCY."TRACK: BUT THAT WAS THEN...SOME COOL TRANSITIONTRACK...CORONAVIRUS IS NOW.TRACK: WHILE THOSE CUTS ANDCHANGES ARE STILL INCLUDED INTHE PROPOSED BUDGET...TRACK: THE USDA SENT US ASTATEMENT SAYING IN PART THEAGENCY WILL BE AS FLEXIBLE AS ITCAN BE MOVING FORWARD DURINGTHIS CHANGING TIME.HIGHLIGHT: "WE ARE GOING TO BEAS FLEXIBLE AS WE CAN"TRACK: A TIME...ADVOCATES SEE ASAN EXAMPLE OF WHY SNAP ISIMPORTANT.3:42JENNY: "IF I DIDN'T HAVE IT IWOULD NOT BE EATING."TRACK: WHETHER YOU'RE A SINGLEMOM OF TWO..3:42JENNY: "I'LL JUST BLUNTLYSTRAIGHT TRUTH.

WE WOULD NOTHAVE ANY FOOD ON THE TABLE."TRACK: OR SOMEONESTRUGGLING...NOW LOOKING FORHELP YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULDNEED.

4:04AMY JO: "ONE OF THE THINGS I'MSEEING IS THE SAFETY NET ISACTUALLY ACTING AS A SAFETY NET.IT'S CATCHINGPEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER HAD TORELY ON ASSISTANCE."THE U-S-D-A SAYS... STATES CANCONTINUE TO ASK FOR EXTRA MONEYFOR SNAPBENEFITS... AS LONG ASEMERGENCY DECLARATIONS ARE INPLACE... AT THE STATEOR FEDERAL LEVEL.SUNSHINE AND WARMTEMPERATURES... USHERING USRIGHT INTO THE WEEKEND...BUT WILL IT STICK AROUND?

ORWILL THE RAIN MOVE IN?ANDY'S GOT THOSE ANSWERS... UPNEXT IN HIS STORM SHIELDFORECAST.WHAT A BEAUTIFUL START TO OURWEEKEND ANDY.YOU CAN'T REALLY ASK FORANYTHING MORE -- EXCEPT MORE OFIT.THE COMBO OF SOME SUN ANDSOUTWEST WINDS WILL GIVE ADECENT WEEKEND.

WE HAVE ONLY APASSING ISOLATE SHOWERS TOMORROWAND AGIN A FEW SHOWERS ONTUESDAY OVER THENEXT 4 DAYS.

SOOPPORTUNITY IS ABUNDANT TO GETOUTAND ABOUT.

THE SAT/RADA SHOWSTHE WARM FRONT WITH A FEWSPRINKLESREACHING THE GROUND.

THAT MAYHAPPEN TONIGHT FOR US.

TEMPS GOTCLOSE TO NORMALEVEN WITH A NORTWEST WIND.

GOODOLD SUNSHINE DOING THE TRICK.THE WARMER AIROUT WEST COMES OUR WAY THISWEEKEND ON A WESTERLY FLOW.TEHRE IS A SECONDFRONT OUT WEST THAT COMES ACROSSTHE AREA IN THE AFTERNOON AGANMAYBE A FEWSPOTTY SHOWERS THAT WILL MOVERIGHT ALONG.

THE HOUR BY HOURHAS THE PARTLYSUNNY SKIES TOMORROW WITH ASHOWER POSS.

WE LOOK TOREACH 70BUTIF THE SUN CAN BREAK FREE OF THECLOUDS WE GET MUCH WARMER.

THEWINDS WILL BEWESTERLY ON SUNDAY SO SUNNYAGAIN AND AGAIN TRYING TO GET TO70.

AS THE WINDS TURNNORTHWESTLATER I THE DAY ITBRINGS BACK COOLER AIR FORMONDAY AND NEXTWEEK.

MONDAY WILL BE ANOTHERSUNNY DAY,.

THE 7DAY SHOWS MORECLOUDS AND COOL AIRNEXT WEEK IF A FEW LIGHT RAINSHOWERS FROM TIME TO TIME..