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.
The National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference, co-sponsored by the Food Research & Action Center and Feeding America, and in cooperation with the National CACFP Forum, draws anti-hunger and anti-poverty advocates; federal, state and local government officials; child advocates; representatives of food banks and food rescue organizations; sponsoring organizations and nutrition and anti-obesity groups.
Members of Congress, Hill staff, and key Administration officials attend the conference, provide comments as part of plenary sessions and panels, and join participants at receptions and special events.
The three-day event is packed with numerous networking opportunities, interactive training, content-rich sessions, and a day on Capitol Hill to meet with Members of Congress and their key staffers. Participants share information and learn how to strengthen the quality and reach of federal nutrition programs, learn best outreach and program practices from other states and localities, fill in the gaps in food service for millions of low-income children, and identify creative ideas for new and innovative approaches to ending hunger.
The National CACFP Leadership track brings together the CACFP community to discover best practices, shape change, meet with USDA officials, and learn strategies for successfully implementing the new healthier CACFP meal pattern, identify opportunities for cutting red tape, and building a thriving CACFP program.
The conference plenaries and interactive, content-rich workshops will be critical for exchanging ideas for how to ensure struggling households have the nutritional resources they need to weather the long-term fallout of the pandemic.
This year, the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference is going virtual to allow thousands of anti-hunger advocates from all across the country to safely and conveniently attend from home. You will hear from officials from the Biden-Harris Administration and the new Congress and capture the energy and networking opportunities that are the hallmark of this annual conference.