Tell Congress to support the Senate Farm Bill proposal that helps farmers,
local economies, and families!
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[ [link removed] ]SIGN NOW
Dear Friend,
We want a Farm Bill that ensures children and families have food on their
tables NOT one that increases hunger!
[ [link removed] ]*CLICK HERE to tell Congress to support the Senate version of the Farm
Bill that protects SNAP (also known as food stamps) and to reject the
Republican-led House version that weakens SNAP!
What is the Farm Bill? The Farm Bill is a massive piece of legislation
that sets policy and provides funding for many programs–everything from
the crops farmers grow to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP). Historically, the Farm Bill has been a bipartisan piece of
legislation that supports both farmers and all of us who eat food and is
renewed every five years.
The Senate and House Agriculture Committees recently released their
much-delayed Farm Bill proposals, and the two versions differ
dramatically. The Senate version continues this bipartisan tradition of
aiding farmers and protecting the food assistance that the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides to over 42 million people
each month. [1] The Republican-led House proposal, on the other hand,
weakens SNAP, cutting roughly $30 billion in benefits over the next
decade. [ [link removed] ] Cutting food assistance at a time when so many families are
struggling to make ends meet is outrageous!
[2]SIGN OUR LETTER to tell Congress to pass a Farm Bill that protects SNAP
benefits, expands SNAP access, and decreases food insecurity for families.
SNAP is the nation’s first line of defense against hunger. Almost 80% of
people who benefit from SNAP are children, seniors, people with
disabilities, and veterans. [ [link removed] ] SNAP provides roughly nine meals for every
one meal provided by Feeding America’s Food Banks. SNAP also benefits the
local economy; every dollar spent on SNAP benefits generates roughly $1.50
in economic activity. When more families struggle to make ends meet, SNAP
responds quickly and effectively to meet that need. Rates of food
insecurity are particularly high among Black, Latino, and American Indian
and Alaska Native people; the Senate version of the Farm Bill strengthens
SNAP to address these racial inequities in food access and hunger.
[3]TELL CONGRESS: Protect SNAP in the Farm Bill to ensure that all
children and families receive adequate nutrition.
WANT MORE OF THE LOWDOWN? The Republican House Farm Bill framework
undermines food security by eliminating future U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Thrifty Food Plan (the basis for SNAP benefit levels)
benefit adjustments. SNAP currently averages only about $6 per person per
day– the House Farm Bill proposal would cut this benefit to even less than
$6 per person per day. [ [link removed] ] Anyone who has had to feed their child with $6
per day knows how incredibly difficult this is. The cut would happen over
time since the House proposal would prevent SNAP benefits from keeping
pace with the cost of a nutritious diet. According to the Congressional
Budget Office, this would result in an estimated $30 billion cut to SNAP
over the next ten years. [ [link removed] ]
In contrast, the bipartisan Senate Farm Bill Framework offers a bold
vision for addressing hunger. The proposal:
* protects SNAP by continuing future adjustments to the Thrifty Food
plan;
* expands access to SNAP benefits for groups that have historically been
excluded;
* reduces barriers to participation in SNAP for older adults, military
families, and some college students;
* studies the impact of allowing hot foods, like rotisserie chicken, to
be purchased with SNAP benefits, which would provide more food options
to seniors, people with disabilities, people experiencing
homelessness, and people without access to a kitchen;
* repeals the lifetime federal ban for people convicted of a
drug-related felony;
* establishes a path for residents of Puerto Rico to participate in SNAP
after more than 40 years of being excluded;
* permanently allows Tribes to procure their own food to distribute
through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations;
* improves customer services for participation in SNAP;
* increases funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
and the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program so that more
communities can access more fruits and vegetables and support local
farmers;
* and more! [6, 7]
[4]SIGN HERE: Tell Congress to back the Senate’s Farm Bill proposal, which
offers a bipartisan, responsible, and equitable approach to addressing
food insecurity.
Together we are a powerful force for families!
-Jessica, Elyssa, Hanna, and the whole MomsRising.org & MamásConPoder Team
References:
[1] [5]FNS: SNAP Participation and Cost
[2] [ [link removed] ]CBPP: Chair Stabenow’s Farm Bill vision protects and strengthens
SNAP; Chair Thompson’s puts a healthy diet out of reach for millions.
[3] [ [link removed] ]U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry:
Nutrition
[4] [ [link removed] ]U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry:
Nutrition
[5] [ [link removed] ]CBPP: Chair Stabenow’s Farm Bill vision protects and strengthens
SNAP; Chair Thompson’s puts a healthy diet out of reach for millions.
[6] [ [link removed] ]CBPP: Chair Stabenow’s Farm Bill vision protects and strengthens
SNAP; Chair Thompson’s puts a healthy diet out of reach for millions.
[7] [ [link removed] ]Food Research and Action Center applauds Senate Farm Bill aimed at
protecting and strengthening SNAP
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