John,

Today, CHN Action is joining with our coalition partners in a SNAP/Farm Bill Day of Action―sending thousands of messages to Congress urging them to pass a Farm Bill that protects and strengthens the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Historically, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have worked together on nutrition assistance, and, in particular, the Farm Bill, to ensure SNAP food benefits are available for most low-income people in need. But with far-right extremists calling the shots in the House, even nutrition programs are under attack.

The House Agriculture Committee’s Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 proposes cuts to food assistance―including restricting future SNAP benefit adjustments―of nearly $30 billion over 10 years according to the Congressional Budget Office.¹ The bill would restrict efforts to adjust SNAP benefits to reflect costs and to allow SNAP participants to use benefits in ways that meet their cultural, dietary, and health needs, undermining their autonomy. This large cut in future SNAP benefits would impact every SNAP participant, resulting in families losing millions in future SNAP benefits in every state across the country.²

More than 40 million people participate in SNAP each month and each of them will be affected if these cuts are allowed to go into effect. We cannot allow Congress to reduce their ability to purchase nutritious food when we know such short-sighted cuts will threaten vulnerable people’s health and ability to work.

Send a direct message to Congress urging them to support a Farm Bill that protects SNAP.

Food insecurity happens in every single Congressional District in the country. The average SNAP benefit is $6 per person per day, and for every $1 invested, between $1.50 to $1.80 of economic activity is generated.³

SNAP is not only our most effective anti-hunger program, it plays a crucial role in helping to reduce poverty, improves health and economic outcomes, is linked to better education outcomes and self-sufficiency, and plays an important role in rural communities.⁴

No one should go hungry in the richest country in the world. Instead of implementing punitive funding cuts, Congress must work together and use the Farm Bill as a vehicle to protect and improve access to SNAP and other nutrition programs. They can focus on equitable access and program administration while increasing SNAP’s purchasing power.

Click here to send a message to Congress urging them to protect and strengthen SNAP in the upcoming Farm Bill.

Thank you for all you do,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, CHN Action

¹ Chair Thompson’s Plan Would Cut SNAP Benefits and Ignore Scientific Evidence in Thrifty Food Plan Updates CBPP analysis of Chair’s proposed cut, CBO’s May 2023 baseline (with CBPP adjustments to account for actual inflation figures for the June 2023 TFP), USDA fiscal year 2020 pre-pandemic SNAP household characteristics data, and USDA fiscal year 2023 SNAP administrative data. Demographic groups are not mutually exclusive.
² SNAP Participants Across the U.S. Would Face Benefit Cut Under Plan to Restrict Future Thrifty Food Plan Updates
³ Quantifying the Impact of SNAP Benefits on the U.S. Economy and Jobs
⁴ SNAP Supports Rural Families