The Food Research and Action Center and more than 1,400 national, state, and local organizations are urging Congress to prioritize protecting and strengthening the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the upcoming farm bill.
A letter signed by the groups urges Congress to ensure that benefit adequacy, equitable access and program administration remain core tenets of SNAP.
“SNAP is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger,” Ellen Teller, chief government affairs officer for FRAC, said in a news release. “Any legislative vehicle, including the farm bill, that presents a critical opportunity to combat food insecurity cannot move forward by weakening our key defense against hunger — we must strengthen SNAP.”
To safeguard SNAP, efforts to create a cost-neutral Thrifty Food Plan must be rejected, the release said, adding that this includes opposing any proposed cuts, such as restricting future Thrifty Food Plan benefit adjustments, which could result in nearly $30 billion in cuts over 10 years. Such a cost-neutral plan would also negatively impact Summer EBT, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, and Puerto Rico’s Nutrition Assistance Program, according to the release.
Every dollar invested in SNAP generates between $1.50 and $1.80 in economic activity during an economic downturn and supports local economies, and in doing so, SNAP improves health outcomes, which results in reducing Medicaid costs associated with food insecurity, the release said.
Despite its strengths, SNAP benefits remain modest, averaging only $6.20 per person per day, the release said. FRAC says it is “imperative” that Congress strengthens SNAP through several ways, including by improving benefit adequacy, permitting the purchase of hot foods, simplifying the eligibility requirements and protecting participants from benefit theft.
“FRAC and its network partners stand ready to oppose any legislation that would undermine SNAP’s proven effectiveness in helping 41 million people in America afford to put food on the table,” Teller said. “History has repeatedly shown that the only viable path to passing a farm bill is a strong bipartisan effort that involves all stakeholders engaged at the table.”
Related link: Read the joint letter
