1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing about the importance of protecting and strengthening the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP provides many of our neighbors with vital food benefits to purchase groceries from food retailers. It serves people of all ages, staves off hunger, and promotes well-being. The House Agriculture Committee’s Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, proposes cuts to SNAP of nearly $30 billion over 10 years according to the Congressional Budget Office. The bill restricts future efforts to adjust SNAP benefits to reflect costs and to allow SNAP participants to use benefits in ways that meet their cultural, dietary, and health needs, undermining their autonomy. This large cut in future SNAP benefits would impact every SNAP participant, resulting in families losing millions in future SNAP benefits in every state across the country. Food insecurity happens in every single Congressional District in the country. The average benefit of SNAP is $6 per person, per day. And for every $1 invested, it generates between $1.50 and $1.80 of economic activity. SNAP is not only our most effective anti-hunger program, it plays a crucial role in helping to reduce poverty, improves health and economic outcomes, is linked to better education outcomes and self-sufficiency, and plays an important role in rural communities. Instead of supporting proposals that cut future food assistance, please work with colleagues to strengthen and protect SNAP. I urge you to oppose any Farm Bill — including the House Agriculture Committee’s Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 — which proposes cuts to future SNAP benefits and allows states to outsource administrative functions currently required to be performed by public sector merit employees. We’re counting on you to pass a bold and equitable Farm Bill that protects and strengthens SNAP and the commodity assistance programs that support families here and across the country.