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There is evidence that Jeffries claims that about 20% of veteran families rely on food stamps is wrong.
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Published on May 13, 2025
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries slammed House Republicans for considering cutting federal safety net plans, noting that they will affect veterans.
"About 20% of veteran families rely on supplemental nutritional food assistance," New York's eighth congressional district representative said Thursday.
Jeffries' statement follows news reports that House Republicans are pushing to limit future snapshot benefits, adding additional job requirements and shifting some quick costs to states when the federal government pays fully.
Jeffries quoted an inaccurate number. According to a report on budget and policy priorities at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, about 8% of veterans relying on SNAP benefits.
Jeffries' office provided no evidence to support his statement.
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reported the Ministry of Agriculture data that 11% of veterans aged 18 to 64 in the country experienced food insecurity from 2015 to 2019. The department defines food insecurity as “food insecurity is “limited or uncertain food access” due to lack of economic resources.” The department found that after controlling for a range of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, veterans are 7% more likely to experience food insecurity than non-veterans.
The Center’s report used our Census Bureau data from 2021 to 2023 to estimate the number of veterans who have received any snapshot benefits in the 12 months before being surveyed.
The report estimates that more than 1.2 million veterans live in families receiving fast benefits, which is 8% of the total U.S. veteran population at that time.
Luis Nunez, a research analyst at the Center for Budget and Policy Focus, said the report's authors said the people cover all veterans, whether they live alone or with others.
In Oregon, the highest percentage of veterans in any state has 14% of food stamps, followed by 11% in Louisiana, New Mexico and West Virginia.
Data from several years ago showed that in budget and policy priorities reports, the proportion was lower than that of the center.
Rand Corporation think tank studied data from 2015 to 2020 and found that 4.9% of veterans nationwide live in families who received deductions for benefits sometime in the past 12 months. The 2022 Government Accountability Office report found that 6.5% of all veterans earned in 2019. The Ministry of Agriculture found that the average was 6.6% in 2018 and 2019.
"About 20% of veteran families rely on" supplemental nutrition assistance programs, Jeffries said.
An April 2 study found that 8% of veterans in the United States rely on seizure of benefits. No states have a share of more than 14%.
Research conducted from data a few years ago shows that the ratio ranges from 4.9% to 6.6%.
There is a fact that veterans face higher food insecurity than non-veterans. However, the statement ignores key facts that make a different impression. Therefore, our rating of statements is primarily incorrect.