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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" ![](\\" Joe Manchin stated on March 29, 2019 in a tweet: \"19% of WVians rely on SNAP,\" or food stamps. ![\\"true\\"](\\" mostly-true/4ac7c61540eff5211f6a04d98a6bc93a.jpg.\\") ![\\"mostly- true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") * West Virginia * Food * Poverty * Joe Manchin ![\\"A](\\" A food drive at Newark Liberty International Airport, on Jan. 23, 2019. (AP/Julio Cortez) By Patrick Downey May 10, 2019 By Kenneth Harmonay May 10, 2019 # Are 19% of West Virginians on food stamps? Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., recently took to Twitter to criticize a Trump administration proposal on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, sometimes known as food stamps. Manchin wrote: \"19% of WVians rely on SNAP, but proposed changes would take food assistance from those struggling to find stable employment while doing nothing to help them to become permanently employed. I\'m urging @USDA Sec Sonny Perdue to withdraw the proposal.\" > 19% of WVians rely on SNAP, but proposed changes would take food assistance > from those struggling to find stable employment while doing nothing to help > them to become permanently employed. I\'m urging @USDA Sec Sonny Perdue to > withdraw the proposal. MORE: > > — Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) March 29, 2019 The tweet linked to a press release from Manchin explaining his position on the proposal, which would give states less flexibility on enforcing work requirements for SNAP beneficiaries. Manchin and several dozen senators from both parties expressed opposition to the proposal. We won’t address the pros and cons of the Trump administration proposal here, but we did wonder if almost one of every five people in West Virginia rely on SNAP. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on August 23, 2024 in a speech in Las Vegas “Kamala cast the tiebreaking vote to hire 87,000 new IRS agents to go after your tip income.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Amy Sherman • August 28, 2024 We checked with experts and looked at the data, and it turns out that Manchin was pretty close to the mark. In February 2019, the most recent month for which full data is available, West Virginia had 314,042 SNAP beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the state’s estimated population for 2018, according to the Census Bureau, was 1,805,832. That works out to 17.4 percent of state residents, or a bit lower than the 19 percent figure Manchin cited. Our ruling Manchin said, \"19% of WVians rely on SNAP, but proposed changes would take food assistance from those struggling to find stable employment while doing nothing to help them to become permanently employed.\" The percentage Manchin cited is a little high, but it’s close. We rate his statement Mostly True. Share the Facts 2019-05-11 03:40:51 UTC PolitiFact ![\\"PolitiFact\\"](\\" 5 1 7 ![\\"PolitiFact](\\" mostlytrue.jpg\\") PolitiFact Rating: Mostly True \"19% of WVians rely on SNAP,\" or food stamps. Joe Manchin U.S. Senate, D-W.Va. ![](\\" a tweet Friday, March 29, 2019 2019-03-29 Read More info #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Joe Manchin, tweet, March 29, 2019 U.S. Department of Agriculture, SNAP participants by state, accessed May 10, 2019 American Fact Finder, West Virginia data, accessed May 10, 2019 Email Interview with Bruce D. Meyer, University of Chicago, April, 22 2019 Email Interview with Craig Gunderson, University of Illinois, April, 23 2019 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Patrick Downey ![](\\" ![](\\" Joe Manchin stated on March 29, 2019 in a tweet: \"19% of WVians rely on SNAP,\" or food stamps. ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Patrick Downey • May 10, 2019 ![](\\" ![](\\" Brian Joseph stated on February 10, 2019 in a newspaper interview: \"The catalytic converter used in automobiles was invented in West Virginia.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Patrick Downey • March 27, 2019 ![](\\" ![](\\" Joe Manchin stated on January 2, 2019 in a tweet: The partial government shutdown in early 2019 affected \"18,000 federal employees in West Virginia.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Patrick Downey • February 20, 2019 ### Are 19% of West Virginians on food stamps? * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 13, 2024 in a post: Vice President Kamala Harris’ college professors disparaged her as their “worst student.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu • September 19, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 17, 2024 in a post: Photo shows Kamala Harris posing beside Sean “Diddy” Combs. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 19, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 18, 2024 in Instagram posts: “BREAKING: Police found ‘explosives’ in car near former President Donald Trump’s rally site on Long Island.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • September 19, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Dave McCormick stated on September 13, 2024 in an X post: Charleroi, Pennsylvania, “has grown by 2,000% due to an influx in migrants.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Caleb McCullough • September 19, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 13, 2024 in una publicación en Facebook: \"El gran respaldo de Taylor Swift\" a Kamala Harris \"le cuesta $125 millones en acuerdos de marca\". ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Maria Briceño • September 19, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Threads posts stated on September 16, 2024 in an Instagram post: Taylor Swift “lost 17 million followers by endorsing Kamala.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 19, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Kari Lake stated on September 13, 2024 in a post on X: Rep. Ruben Gallego’s “first act in Congress was to propose legislation to BAN the use of the term ‘illegal alien.’” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Mia Osmonbekov • September 19, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Sherrod Brown stated on September 4, 2024 in a TV interview: Of Bernie Moreno, “Now, he’s arguing for a national abortion ban, no exceptions.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Caleb McCullough • September 19, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 16, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Country Music Television (CMT) has announced a permanent boycott of Taylor Swift.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 18, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 11, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Disney World officially moving to Nashville.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 18, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. Become a member! 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19 of WVians rely on SNAP or food stamps