Dear John,

“You try to balance out everything, but costs are extremely high right now. I'm always budgeting. I'm cutting out necessities that I need for myself just so I can make ends meet for my children. I'm a saver. I save any way I can...If they cut SNAP benefits, what that means is basically my whole check will go towards putting food in my refrigerator and paying my bills. It would leave me with absolutely nothing to spare, because it's really nothing right now.”

- Melodie Ali, supermarket employee, mom of two, and SNAP beneficiary

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is America’s first line of defense against hunger. Each year, around 42 million people rely on SNAP, and 40 million children rely on school meal programs. Despite rising grocery bills, Republican leaders in Congress have proposed cutting around $240 billion from these nutrition assistance programs in their budget blueprint. Why? So that they can give more tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations.

Taking food away from children and families to pad the pockets of billionaires and mega-corporations simply does not make sense. Women and families, like Melodie’s, need SNAP and school meal programs—but billionaires don’t need any more tax cuts. 

As Melodie put it: “Congress really needs to think about what they’re wanting to do. They need to think hard because this is not helping, it's hurting. What they’re talking about doing, they’re working against you and not for you...If they do these cuts, there is going to be hunger. Children are going to suffer—as if children aren't suffering now...Parents might have to choose between feeding themselves and their children.”

As the cost of food continues to rise, urge Congress to reject budget proposals that would rob us of food assistance while handing out new tax breaks to billionaires.

In solidarity,

Courtney Anderson
she/her/hers
Social Insurance Legal Fellow
National Women's Law Center