ARLINGTON, VA – 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.”