U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Perdue issues Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order on Reducing Poverty Promotes Economic Independence




Washington, DC - - (April 10, 2018) - - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today applauded President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order (EO), titled “Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility,” which calls for lifting American citizens from welfare to work, from dependence to independence, and from poverty to prosperity.

Perdue issued the following statement:

“I commend President Trump today for his leadership on moving Americans back to work. At the Department of Agriculture, we are responsible for administering programs which help people access nutritious food for themselves and their families, but we also know that long-term government dependency has never been a part of the American dream. Providing people with the training and skills they need to find gainful employment will help place them on the path to self-sufficiency and restore the dignity of work. It’s the right thing to do for our people, just as it’s the right thing to do for American taxpayers.”

Background:

USDA administers 15 food and nutrition programs that total nearly $100 billion annually in spending. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) alone is responsible for $70 billion each year. In 2016, over 16 million able-bodied adults were enrolled in SNAP. We can and we must do a better job of moving these individuals to self-sufficiency.

Here at USDA we must do right and feed everyone. We are proud to stand by President Trump to help those truly in need while supporting his vision of long-term independence for all Americans a reality. USDA's Food and Nutrition Service administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that include the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and the Summer Food Service Program. Together, these programs comprise America's nutrition safety net. For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov .