• Protect Federal Nutrition Safety Net Programs
• Restoring SNAP Benefit Boosts
• Advocacy Tools
• Budget and Appropriations
  • Federal Budget and Appropriations Process
  • Appropriations
  • President's Budget Request
  • The Budget Control Act
• Farm Bill 2012
  • Strengthening SNAP in the 2012 Farm Bill
  • Farm Bill FAQ
• Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization
  • CNR FAQ
• Legislative Successes
  • The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
  • 2008 Farm Bill Nutrition Title
  • Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004
• Legislative Archives

Protect Federal Nutrition Safety Net Programs

Tell your Senators and House Members that the federal safety net programs have broad and extraordinary strengths and millions of Americans would suffer if they are cut or altered.

Now that the Super Committee has failed to reach an agreement on deficit reduction, action shifts to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to develop a Farm Bill.  The programs that make up our nutrition’s safety net – SNAP, school meals, summer food, afterschool snacks and meals, WIC, and child care food – must be protected during this process and any other attempts to reduce the deficit.

Use the materials on this page and their accompanying messages when you communicate with Congress.

Data show the strength and economic benefits of the nutrition programs:

New Data Show the Prevalence of Hunger and Poverty:

• FRAC’s food hardship data document people’s inability to afford enough food down to the Congressional District level. State-level data on food insecurity (USDA) and on poverty (U.S. Census Bureau) also demonstrate the widespread struggles facing Americans.
  Message: Too many people – including many in your own district – struggle with hunger.

• SNAP Benefits Can Lift People Out of Poverty:
  Recently released poverty data show that, if counted as income, SNAP would have lifted more than 3.9 million Americans above the poverty line in 2010. Data from USDA show the impact of SNAP benefits on poverty by state.
  Message: SNAP fights hunger, and lifts people out of poverty.

• SNAP Protected Low-income Households from Increasing Hunger during the Recession:
  USDA researchers found that the boost to SNAP benefits included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and effective beginning in April 2009 improved the food security of low-income households.
  Message: Improvements to SNAP made a difference for low-income families by reducing hunger in their households

Organizations, Capitol Hill and Americans across the country support federal nutrition programs:

• 2,700 Organizations Urge Congress to Protect SNAP:
  This letter (pdf) urges Congress to protect SNAP from harmful cuts and to preserve the program’s successful structure.
  Message: Many organizations in our state are urging you to protect SNAP.

• Congressional Leaders Express Support:
  Letters circulated by Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) (pdf) with 174 signatures, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) (pdf) demonstrate broad support for the nutrition programs.
  Action: Share these letters to show support for protecting SNAP.
  

• National Polling Data Demonstrate Broad Support:
  Seventy-one percent of Americans said that cutting SNAP would be the wrong way for Congress to reduce spending next year. Support was high across party lines, age, race, gender, income, and geographical areas.
  Message: SNAP has strong support among registered voters.