No Child in the US Should Ever Be Hungry! Fight for Our Kids!

As your constituent, I urge you to oppose any budget reconciliation measure or other legislative effort that would cut benefits, restrict eligibility, or otherwise cause recipients to lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or school meals. Congress should not sacrifice students’ and working families’ nutrition. Hunger in America is soaring. High food costs are forcing many families to make difficult decisions about whether to pay a utility bill or buy food. Cutbacks to nutrition programs would be yet another weight for working families to shoulder—all in deference to the super-wealthy. Budget reconciliation measures would cut SNAP benefits, restrict eligibility, and shift burdensome costs to states, which may not be able to meet the need for assistance. Together, these provisions will take away or reduce benefits for the millions struggling to keep food on the table, including families with children. At the same time, potential cuts to SNAP—our nation’s largest anti-hunger program—would not only reduce benefits for families; they would hurt students who rely on SNAP direct certification to qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. When families no longer qualify for SNAP, students’ school meals participation is threatened. When students are hungry, they can’t focus on learning. These detrimental proposals would increase student hunger and reinstate unnecessary, burdensome paperwork for families and school food service personnel, reducing the time school employees have for preparing healthy food and supporting students. The measures would also increase school meal debt and bring “lunch shaming”—the singling out of children who receive free meals—back to cafeterias. I urge you to oppose any legislation that would cut SNAP or reduce the number of students who receive free school meals. Both are important efforts to fight hunger and food insecurity and position America’s children for academic success.