U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan wants the governor to include Youngstown and Warren in a request to be included in SNAP

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan is asking Gov. John Kasich to include Youngstown and Warren in the state’s request of a time-limit waiver for the Supplemental Nutrition Aid Program.

In the letter sent Friday, Ryan, of Howland, D-13th, wrote he was “disappointed” Kasich, a Republican, chose to exclude eligible areas, including the two cities, in his request.

“It is disheartening to know that this waiver does not include almost 70 percent of those men and women who lost their food aid in the last two years,” Ryan wrote. “As you are aware, the Supplemental Nutrition Aid Program stipulates that waivers may be requested to extend the time limit for adults who are not elderly, disabled or parents with custody of minor children during time of economic recession. A city or county is eligible if its unemployment rate during 2013 and 2014 was at least 20 percent above the national average of 6.8 percent, this would make Youngstown, Warren and Trumbull County eligible for this aid.”

He added: “As public officials, we should be doing everything in our power to make sure the people we represent never go hungry.”