We need your help! As you know, the House of Representatives is taking up the Farm Bill today. Drastic cuts and harmful policy changes to SNAP are on the table, causing more than two million households to lose SNAP benefits entirely, more than 200,000 kids to lose access to free and reduce price school meals in cases where their eligibility is tied to their SNAP benefits, and more than 850,000 households to see a reduction in their monthly SNAP benefits. Additionally, SNAP Ed is facing cuts that would impact families’ ability to access nutrition education programs in states across the country. There are several harmful amendments we also want to draw your attention to (details below).
We hope you’ll consider reaching out to staff in the offices of your Congressional delegation today and tomorrow, asking them to vote no on a Farm Bill that includes cuts or harmful policy changes to SNAP, including any harmful amendments offered on the House floor. Attached here are resources for you to use:
- A spreadsheet with contact information for key staff in your Congressional offices, sorted by state. (Please don’t forward this spreadsheet outside of your office!)
- A SNAP/SNAP Ed one-pager and state-specific SNAP information available here on the ‘in your state’ tab to share with Hill offices
- A sample email is below to send to Congressional staff in your state
- SNAP and SNAP Ed related stories are available at www.protectsnap.org to share with Congressional offices.
Amendments: There are a host of negative SNAP amendments that will be considered this week and next. I’ve highlighted three particularly damaging amendments for you here. Please urge your congressional delegations to vote NO on all three, as well as others that harm SNAP and SNAP ed. We are happy to provide more information on any of the SNAP related amendments coming to the floor.
- Conaway (TX), #160: Requires a 10% reduction in the Thrifty Food Plan calculation in any year that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is not reauthorized. This would result in an across-the-board cut if the Farm Bill is not reauthorized, greatly harming hungry households.
- Huelskamp (TX), #151: This amendment has several harmful provisions. It entirely eliminates SNAP Education (SNAP Ed) and eliminates Heat and Eat (the provision that connects LIHEAP and SNAP). In addition, it creates a barrier to service (job requirements) when the economy is still unstable and unemployment is high.
- Southerland (FL), #101: Applies federal welfare work requirements to the food stamp program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, at state option. This amendment financially incentivizes states to reduce caseload in the name of work by giving them half of federal benefit savings from the caseload reduction and case use the funding for anything.
Please also feel free to use the below template to share your opposition to SNAP cuts in the Farm Bill: 1-877-752-6479
Dear STAFF NAME,
As the Farm Bill comes to the floor of the House, I urge REPRESENTATIVE NAME to oppose any bill that includes cuts or harmful policy changes to SNAP. SNAP is our most powerful and effective anti-hunger program for kids, providing benefits to approximately 23 million children each month. The current structure of SNAP addresses real problems that millions of low-income families across the country are facing: how to put food on the table for their kids when they have hit hard times. The current bill on the floor of the House threaten to kick more than 2 million households off of SNAP entirely, reduce benefits for 850,000 households, and cause more than 200,000 low-income kids to lose access to free and reduce price school meals. Cuts or harmful policy changes to the program will do nothing but leave more children and families in America going hungry. I will be watching your vote on this critical piece of legislation and on related amendments and on behalf of ORGANIZATION NAME, I urge you to oppose this legislation.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
ORGANIZATION