ARLINGTON, VA, 2017-May-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — Food Marketing Institute (FMI) President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin issued the following statement regarding the summary of President Trump’s budget proposal that estimates $2 billion in revenue to reduce expenditures on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would be generated for the first time, by imposing fees on retailers serving as the delivery mechanism for these benefits.
“Yesterday we saw the first summary of the President’s budget proposal. As the President’s proposal, it is meant to message priorities the Administration views as important, such as additional spending on defense. The Congress will work through its budget process and will include additional priorities to serve as the basis for an agreed upon framework. As this process goes forward we look forward to working with the Administration, the Budget Committee and the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to address concerns to the food retail industry, including the flawed policy of imposing fees on food retailers in order to reduce the cost of the federal government’s nutrition assistance benefits to the most needy in our society.”
Food Marketing Institute proudly advocates on behalf of the food retail industry. FMI’s U.S. members operate nearly 40,000 retail food stores and 25,000 pharmacies, representing a combined annual sales volume of almost $770 billion. Through programs in public affairs, food safety, research, education and industry relations, FMI offers resources and provides valuable benefits to more than 1,225 food retail and wholesale member companies in the United States and around the world. FMI membership covers the spectrum of diverse venues where food is sold, including single owner grocery stores, large multi-store supermarket chains and mixed retail stores. For more information, visit www.fmi.org and for information regarding the FMI foundation, visit www.fmifoundation.org.
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Source: Food Marketing Institute