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 pandemic Emergency Allotment ended this spring, reducing benefits by $95 a month on average in 17 million households in 35 states, leaving most recipients with only $6 per person per day. No person can eat three healthy meals each day for just $6. Low-income Americans are struggling with food prices due to inflation and an expensive housing market. They have few reserves to weather the SNAP benefit cut. Even before the SNAP benefit cut, food banks, pantries, and soup kitchens were reporting high demand for assistance. These emergency food providers cannot make up for the scope of this SNAP cut.
I ask you to safeguard SNAP from any further cuts or damaging changes in negotiations over the budget, the farm bill, or any other legislation. You should end the current 3-month time limits on SNAP for people without children, and firmly reject any proposal to expand this harsh restriction to others. Moreover, I urge Congress to support increasing SNAP benefit amounts, allow simplified qualifying for SNAP, and include Puerto Rico and other territories in the SNAP program. More adequate SNAP benefits can help our neighbors keep food on the table longer through a month. SNAP has been shown to improve student performance and allows families to maintain healthy diets, which in turn leads to long-term positive health outcomes. We should support this!
Please protect and expand SNAP benefits. Thanks.
