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Over 1,400 National, State, and Community-based
Organizations Sign a Letter Urging Congress to Protect and
Strengthen SNAP in Farm Bill Negotiations
July 9, 2024
We, the 1,422 national, state, and local organizations representing communities across the
country, urge the House and Senate to develop a Farm Bill that ensures that the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is protected and strengthened and that benefit adequacy,
equitable access, and program administration remain core tenets of the program. We will
oppose any Farm Bill — including the House Agriculture Committee’s Farm, Food, and National
Security Act of 2024 — which proposes cuts to SNAP including restricting future Thrifty Food
Plan benefit adjustments, nearly $30 billion in cuts over 10 years according to the Congressional
Budget Office, in addition to provisions outsourcing administrative functions currently required
to be performed by public sector merit employees. The bill also paves the way for future efforts
to undermine the equity and autonomy in how SNAP participants can use benefits in ways that
meet their cultural, dietary, and health needs.
Strengthening SNAP and the commodity assistance programs ensures that the more than 41
million people who continue to rely on SNAP benefits every month to put food on the table —
during a time of increased rent and health care costs — can access and afford the nutrition they
need to thrive.
The Farm Bill presents a unique opportunity for Congress to make progress against food
insecurity and hunger, especially considering that food insecurity touches people in every
Congressional District. Strengthening SNAP and the commodity assistance programs — The
Emergency Food Assistance Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, Food
Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program,
and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program — will go a long way to end poverty-related
hunger.
Every dollar invested in SNAP is a dollar we invest into our nation and its people. And this
investment has a strong ripple effect. Studies show that increases in SNAP benefits directly
correlate to improved health outcomes and decreased visits to emergency rooms, which
decreases Medicaid costs. In addition to its health, nutrition, and overall improved well-being
attributes, SNAP also supports local economies — each dollar in federally funded SNAP benefits
generates between $1.50 and $1.80 in economic activity during a weak economy.
Yet, despite its many strengths, we expect a lot of output from a program where the average
benefit is only $6 per person per day. During a time of sharply increased costs at grocery stores
and other living expenses, it is ill-advised to weaken SNAP and the commodity programs as it
will only deepen America’s hunger crisis.
SNAP is our nation’s most impactful anti-hunger program. Congress should ensure that SNAP
benefits reach all those in need, including households with children, older adults, veterans, and
people with disabilities, and residents of the U.S. territories, so that all can thrive. Equally
important, Congress must protect SNAP from damaging policies that would undermine its
effectiveness and increase hunger and food insecurity. This includes ensuring that future Thrifty
Food Plan adjustments allow benefits to keep pace with the cost of a healthy diet based on
factors such as the latest dietary guidance and food consumption patterns.