*Action Alert: Weigh in to Defend SNAP
Tired of hearing about the Trump Administration’s efforts to curb programs that provide a safety net to individuals and families living on the edge of a economy, that is a boom to some, but leaves many others unable to cover costs of housing, food, and medical care?
Proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will eliminate SNAP benefits to 755,000 underemployed or unemployed adults and amount to a $15 b in SNAP cuts over 10 years.
You can make a difference by raising your voice. Read the action alert from the Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness for more information on the topic. This proposed rule change is open for public comment until April 2, 2019. You can also find a sample letter that you can use to help prepare your own. Let the Federal Government/United States Department of Agriculture know that the rule is harmful for workers and not the way to make public policy.
Action Alert: Weigh in to Defend SNAP
On February 1, the Trump Administration proposed a rule that would restrict states’ flexibility to provide nutrition assistance to people who struggle to put food on the table. In effect, this rule will eliminate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for 755,000 unemployed and underemployed adults and amount to $15 billion in SNAP cuts over 10 years. The proposed rule would have a devastating impact on women and families who rely on SNAP for basic food assistance while they are working or between jobs. Regardless of negative stereotypes, taking away food assistance will not help people find and maintain work.
In December, Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill, rejecting these same changes to SNAP. Members of Congress rightly saw that these changes to the SNAP program were punitive and contrary to the aims of the program. This new rule is an attempt to circumvent the will of Congress on food policy.
The recent 35-day government shutdown revealed the economic vulnerability of middle-class Americans and the vital importance of a federal nutrition safety net. In recent weeks, thousands of federal workers turned to the charitable food sector to meet their basic needs. Despite dozens of food pantries springing up and holding special events in unusual locations, thousands of hard-working Americans still could not put food on the table. The charitable food sector is not equipped to respond to the scope of food insecurity in the United States—and the shutdown only highlights the critical need for SNAP.
The proposed rule is currently open for public comment until April 2, 2019. You have the right to submit a comment to the USDA letting them know that this rule is bad for workers and a bad way to make public policy. Make sure to prepare your comment and then visit the federal register comments page.
Visit our Blog for more information and to find a sample letter.