If the Farm Bill to be considered in the House Committee on Agriculture on May 23 becomes law, it will mean a cut of nearly $30 billion in future SNAP benefits over a decade.
Such cuts are unconscionable. For many children, they will make learning more difficult and lead to negative health outcomes. They will force families and older adults to choose between putting food on the table and paying for other expenses such as rent, utility bills, or prescription drugs. They will also harm our economy, removing the stimulative benefits of SNAP and even hurting farmers and ranchers along the way.
SNAP is the most effective anti-hunger program in the U.S. It reduces hunger by 30% and provides nutritious meals to one-quarter of America’s children.
The House bill makes these cuts by limiting the USDA’s ability to update the Thrifty Food Plan, which determines SNAP benefit levels, to reflect the real costs of a nutritious diet, based on science, along with reflecting food prices that remain stubbornly high. This will make it tougher for families experiencing food insecurity as well as the food banks that aid them. These would be the largest cuts to SNAP benefits in almost 30 years if enacted. In addition, these changes will trigger more than $500 million in cuts to Summer EBT, which provides grocery benefits to children in low-income families during the summer when schools are closed, along with $100 million in cuts to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which provides food for food banks and food pantries to distribute to individuals and families.
The House bill also would allow states to let private corporations take over determining eligibility for SNAP. Where this has been tried, replacing merit-based staff resulted in corporate skimping on careful help to people applying for or renewing benefits in order to maximize profits. It would also reverse previously enacted steps to reduce agriculture-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
During this time when many families grapple with the cost of housing and food, Congress must do everything in its power to provide relief to those who need it most.
Click “Start Writing” to send a message to Congress urging them to reject any and all cuts to nutrition programs in the FY2025 Farm Bill.
Most Americans agree that family comes first. No matter where you work or what zip code you live in, you should be able to welcome a new child, to care for your mother when she has her knee replaced or to heal from cancer without facing financial disaster.
And yet in 2016, only 14 percent of private sector workers in the U.S. reported having paid family leave through an employer; less than 40 percent have personal medical leave through an employer-provided temporary disability program. The United States and Papua New Guinea are the only countries in the world without a paid leave law. Because 44 percent of American households don’t have enough savings to cover their basic expenses for three months, families are often forced to choose between taking time off to care for a partner or parent with an unexpected medical emergency or continuing to work so that they can keep their job and health insurance. The crisis is just as bleak for new mothers. Nearly 1 in 4 mothers return to work within two weeks of having a baby. Without the protections of paid leave, new mothers are 40% more likely to need food stamps or public assistance.
Weaving powerful stories together with insightful interviews with leading policymakers, economists, researchers, and activists, Zero Weeks lays out a compelling argument for guaranteed paid leave for every American worker. The film looks at paid leave from an emotional, medical, financial and global perspective.
Once a fringe issue, paid leave is now central to the national debate. The issue is not just political, it’s smart economics. Three states that have implemented their own policies—California, New Jersey and Rhode Island—have experienced greater economic stability. Companies like Google, which provide over 16 weeks of paid leave, have seen their rates of attrition fall by 50%. Paid leave is not just good for families, relationships, and the health of seniors, parents and children, but it is beneficial for business and our nation’s ability to compete on a global scale.
Join the Economic Policy Institute on Thursday, May 16, for a screening of Zero Weeks, a movie that chronicles the deep financial and emotional distress caused by America’s shameful lack of paid leave in the workplace
The screening will begin at 3:30 p.m., with introductory remarks from EPI Senior Economist Elise Gould, Director of Family Values @ Work Ellen Bravo, and the film’s director, Ky Dickens. The movie will start promptly at 4 p.m. Snacks and beverages will be served during the film and a brief reception will follow the screening.
What: Screening of “Zero Weeks: America’s Leave Crisis and the Cost of Doing Nothing”
When: Thursday, May 16
3:30 p.m Eastern
Who: EPI Senior Economist Elise Gould
Director of Family Values @ Work Ellen Bravo
Director Ky Dickens
Where: The Economic Policy Institute
1225 I Street NW, Sixth floor
Washington, DC 20005