Dear WestCoast Community,

The federal Farm Bill, currently under negotiation in Congress, is about more than just corn subsidies—it also contains a program critical to the healthy development of low-income children: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP, also known as food stamps, helps feed children and families living in poverty.

On November 1, SNAP was cut due to the expiration of the 2009 stimulus package, which had temporarily increased food stamp benefits. Congress is now considering further cuts to food stamps. The Senate has proposed to cut $4 billion, while the House of Representatives proposal would cut nearly $40 billion from this program that families rely on to feed their children. The House proposal would reduce access for 3.8 million people in the United States in 2014, in large part by removing a waiver for working-poor families struggling to make ends meet in high cost regions like the Bay Area.

The next step is for Senate and House representatives to come together and negotiate a deal both houses can agree on. Now is the time to contact your representatives in both houses and tell them that access to nutritious meals is critical to children’s health and to stop cuts to SNAP.

Sincerely,

Stacey Katz
Executive Director