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.
An archive of this webinar is available here.
Using the New Poverty Data
Wednesday, September 9, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
The annual Census Bureau data about poverty, income, and health insurance will be released on September 16 and 17. There is increasing recognition that poverty is stubborn, entrenched, and damaging. There is also a growing body of evidence about what works to reduce poverty.
Learn how to get accurate information about your state and community – and how to use it to press for real solutions.
Presenters:
Jared Bernstein, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Jared, formerly Chief Economist and Economic Advisor for Vice President Biden and the Obama White House, and now a prominent writer and commentator on economic issues, will predict likely poverty and income trends in the new data. And show us what works to reduce poverty – and what doesn’t.
Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs
Debbie has been providing practical, hands-on tips on using the Census survey data for a long time. Each year, she works to streamline the info so you can find and use poverty, income, health insurance, education, disability, race/ethnicity, employment and other data for the nation, and for states and communities.
The webinar will give you step-by-step instructions to find the information you need, including trends over time and comparisons to other states. All registrants will be sent those instructions and follow-up help when the Census Bureau releases its new reports.