Make Calls Today and Tomorrow to Protect SNAP

By MB -
N2 fruit saladThe House of Representatives is taking calls this week about the latest draft of the Farm Bill, which includes many changes to the SNAP (food stamp) program. A vote is expected sometime this week.

Under the proposed law, parents of children 6 and up will be required to work at least 25 hours per week in order to qualify for SNAP. Adults age 50-59 will face the same work requirements (currently, adults age 18-49 who are not raising minor children must work 20 hours per week to meet SNAP requirements). Adults would need to certify their work status monthly, creating and expensive and unnecessary bureaucracy in each state.


Income eligibility will also decrease so that SNAP will only be available to families earning 130% or less of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, this means earning around $33,000 per year.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, these changes will cause over 1 million households (including over 2 million people) to lose access to SNAP or see their benefits reduced. In Pennsylvania, 70,000 households could lose eligibility.

The SNAP program has a history of helping families, children, businesses, and the economy. Every $5 spent on SNAP generates $9.20 in economic activity. In a given month, 1 in 4 children in the United States use SNAP to access food. Participating in SNAP has shown gains in reading and math skills among elementary school children and increased their chances of graduating from high school.

No one - child or adult - should go hungry. Please help ensure the SNAP program continues to serve as many families as possible.

Action Steps:
  • Call Congress using Feeding America's toll free number: 1-888-398-8702. After a short message, you will be connected to your Representative's office after entering your zip code. You can also call 202-224-3121 to get connected to Congress on your own.
    • Here's a sample message from CHN: "Vote NO on H.R. 2, the Farm Bill, because its rigid work rules and other restrictions will reduce or eliminate SNAP for millions of children, veterans, women, older people, and people needing treatment and/or with disabilities." 
    • Please share these numbers with your networks and ask them to encourage people to call.




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