With this Section 1115 waiver approval, South Carolina becomes the first state in the nation to exclusively impose the harmful policy of work requirements on low-income parents with children. Children rely on healthy
parents and caregivers to help them meet their health and developmental needs, and this waiver will make it harder for parents to be there for their children.
Vaccines are essential to protecting children, families, and communities, and herd immunity is especially critical for vulnerable children with medical conditions as well as infants too young to be immunized. To maintain and increase vaccine coverage that will ensure necessary herd immunity, parents must have confidence in the safety and efficacy of vaccines, exemptions must be restricted, and existing exemptions must be monitored.
Each year, an estimated 700 women in the United States die from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. Since the CDC began tracking maternal mortality rates in 1987, the United States has seen a sharp increase in pregnancy-related deaths, most of which are entirely preventable.
Today, the Trump administration published a final rule that will weaken SNAP by imposing time limits and work requirements. By USDA’s own estimates, this change will result in nearly 700,000 people losing benefits. Earlier this year, CDF urged the Administration to withdraw this rule as well as other recent proposals to take food from hungry families.
CDF submitted comments on USDA's proposed rule regarding SNAP Standard Utility Allowances (SUAs). The proposed rule would limit states' flexibility to set the SUA, resulting in a reduction in SNAP benefits for many hungry children and families across the country and exacerbating the struggles many low-income families have paying for both food and utilities. Given the disturbing and lasting impact this would have on children's food security, health and well-being, we urged the administration to withdraw this proposed rule.