Last week, the House Committee on Agriculture held a full committee hearing, “The Power of Work: Expanding Opportunity Through SNAP.” The hearing made clear that Congress must reassert the connection between receiving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit and securing employment and long-term independence—a policy principle enshrined in current federal law that’s continuously perverted by the federal bureaucracy and states in implementation.
Most Work-Capable SNAP Recipients Are Not Working
Despite repeated claims from Democrats that most SNAP recipients work, the data tells a different story.
According to USDA’s own numbers, only 28% of nondisabled, childless adults aged 18–54—a group known as ABAWDs—are employed while receiving benefits. That means nearly three-quarters of this population is not working, even though jobs are widely available.
Dr. Rachidi backed this up in her testimony, citing data showing that fewer than 30% of nondisabled childless adults worked while on SNAP in 2019—a rate that has held steady for two decades. She was clear: “In truth, only a minority of work-capable adults report working while receiving SNAP.”
So, when opponents argue that work requirements are unnecessary because “people already work,” they are ignoring the most accurate data. Worse, they are defending a status quo that keeps Americans trapped in government dependence rather than helping them climb the economic ladder.
The Moderate SNAP Work Requirement is an Important Tool to Get Americans Off the Sidelines
Democratic politicians and special interests call work requirements “cruel,” but that rhetoric doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. The work requirement for ABAWDs is modest: work, train, or volunteer for just 20 hours per week. And there are broad work exemptions for people who are disabled, pregnant, elderly, veterans, homeless, or caring for dependents.
States are required to screen childless, able-bodied adults who may be subject to the work requirement. During this process, these vulnerable individuals can get connected to life-changing supports and services, such as SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) programs, which are available in every State.
David Tidwell, President and CEO of HOPE Ministries in Baton Rouge, echoed that sentiment through the story of “Gary,” a formerly incarcerated participant who completed CDL training through HOPE’s SNAP E&T program. “Today, he is successfully employed as a professional truck driver, earning a living wage and creating a fresh start for himself,” Tidwell shared.
SNAP Work Requirements are Not Currently Enforced in Wide Swaths of the Country
As Chairman Thompson noted, 40% of ABAWDs currently live in an area that has been waived entirely from the ABAWD work requirement by the State. Under the current USDA interpretation of the law, these areas can be places with sub-5% unemployment rates.
Dr. Rachidi testified these waivers are often poorly targeted and easily manipulated: “25 percent of counties that received a waiver from 1997 to 2023 had unemployment rates below 5 percent.”
“Louisiana, over a two-year period, moved away from the waiver. Since the waiver has gone away, we have seen an increase in ABAWD participation in our programs,” Mr. Tidwell testified.
When states and Washington elites propose erasing work requirements, they are further distancing SNAP households from the tools and supports to move forward.
Work Requirements Support Employment and Well-Being
While some critics claim SNAP work requirements don’t increase employment, the research tells a different story. Dr. Rachidi explained that some studies show positive effects on employment. We lack high-quality data due to the inconsistent application of the work requirement across states, due to waivers, yet another reason to standardize and enforce the waiver process through statutory change to provide clear direction.
Beyond the numbers, work requirements reinforce the idea that SNAP should be a bridge to a brighter future, not a way of life. As Sam Schaeffer, CEO of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), testified, “SNAP benefits offer a lifeline, while E&T services become a bridge to lasting independence.”
These are the outcomes Congress should be encouraging: employment, independence, and restored dignity. As Chairman Thompson said, “There is dignity in work, and it provides more than just a paycheck.”
SNAP Should Reward Work, Not Punish It
Work requirements are only one solution. Dr. Rachidi also emphasized the need to address benefit cliffs—the sudden loss of support when someone increases their income slightly.
Schaeffer explained that current SNAP rules too often punish progress, noting, “There are thousands of people in workforce programs who are at risk of losing SNAP and SNAP E&T due to their temporary income from SNAP E&T itself—a Catch-22 Congress must resolve.”
The Farm, Food, and National Security Act provides just that, including provisions to exclude income from SNAP E&T programs from eligibility for SNAP and remove outdated bans on SNAP participation for individuals with prior felony drug convictions. These overdue fixes will ensure SNAP recipients do not have to choose between climbing the ladder of opportunity and losing their SNAP benefits.
Tidwell also emphasized that SNAP E&T federal funding often determines whether people can reach that first rung on the economic ladder. “Without access to E&T funding,” Tidwell said, “individuals would remain trapped in poverty, unable to gain the skills and credentials needed to secure high-wage employment.”
Bottom Line: The Status Quo Isn’t Working
The safety net has become a spider web. Too many Americans are stuck, not because they want to be, but because the system doesn’t expect or help them to do more. With 7.6 million jobs open across the country, we should not accept policies that encourage able-bodied adults to sit out of the workforce indefinitely.
This hearing reminded us that Congress intended for SNAP to be a SUPPLEMENTAL source of food nutrition for Americans in need. It was meant to encourage upward mobility through work. Reinforcing work requirements and increasing access to SNAP E&T programs will restore that purpose and restore hope to millions of Americans still waiting for a way up.
