Urge Congress to Protect the Federal Safety-net!
11.4.2011 Tell your Senators and House Members to protect the federal nutrition safety net programs. The Super Committee has been charged with managing U.S. deficit negotiations and must produce $1.5 trillion in cuts from entitlements and tax revenues. The nutrition safety net must be protected during this process. In addition, it is essential that the Super Committee consider strategies to increase revenues in an effort to balance the impact of these cuts.
Call (1-877-698-8228) your member of Congress and communicate to them the importance of protecting the federal nutrition safety-net programs.
Find your U.S. Representative or Senator. link
It’s time for anti-hunger advocates to ensure that their Members of Congress know how critical the federal nutrition safety programs are to the health and well-being of low-income people. The federal nutrition safety net programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), school meals and WIC, have an extraordinarily broad reach – millions of Americans would feel the near immediate negative impact if these programs were cut or altered. Currently, more Americans rely on SNAP (CalFresh in California) than ever before, because more Americans face the struggles of poverty on a day-to-day basis than ever before.
Food insecurity and poverty in the United States continues to rise. It doesn’t seem this will be changing any time soon – particularly for the very lowest income Americans who are having the most difficult time recovering from the economic downfall. While this continues to be the case, we know that SNAP benefits can alleviate some of the struggles of poverty and food insecurity. Recently released data show that if counted as income SNAP would have lifted more than 3.9 million American above poverty in 2009. What’s more, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that the boost to SNAP benefits through ARRA improved the food security of low-income households during that time period.
Call (1-877-698-8228) your member of Congress today!
For more information and data to support your message, visit the Food Research and Action Center’s (FRAC) Legislative Action Center. link
On November 15th CFPA will be releasing new California specific food insecurity data. In addition, check our site regularly for updates and continued action steps in support of the federal nutrition safety net.