Trump ends annual US hunger report amid food aid cuts
What's the story
The Trump administration has announced its decision to end the annual report on hunger in America, published by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The move comes just months after President Donald Trump signed a law drastically cutting food aid for the impoverished. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that these changes will make three million people ineligible for food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits.
Reasoning
USDA cites 'politicization' as reason behind decision
The USDA has cited "politicization" and "inaccuracies" in data collection as the main reasons behind its decision to end the annual report. The department said that the questions used to collect data are entirely subjective and don't accurately reflect actual food security. It further claimed that the data is often manipulated to create a narrative that doesn't truly represent what's happening in the countryside.
Accusations
Decision draws criticism from several quarters
The decision has drawn criticism from several quarters, with many accusing the Trump administration of deliberately making it harder to measure hunger and assess the impact of its cuts to food stamps. Bobby Kogan, senior director of federal budget policy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, called out the move on social media. He said Trump is canceling an annual government survey that measures hunger in America instead of letting it show rising hunger under his tenure.