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Federal Advocacy Update
Your Help is Needed to Protect SNAP/CalFresh from Cuts in House Budget Resolution
Contact Your Representative Today!
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Yesterday's House Budget Committee FY18 Budget Resolution hearing revealed the House GOP's plans to follow the lead of the President's budget proposal by making
drastic cuts to anti-hunger and poverty programs in order to provide large tax cuts for the highest-income Americans. The House Budget would slash $5.7 trillion over ten years from entitlement programs and Non-Defense Discretionary spending, including cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, income assistance for working-poor and other struggling families, nutrition assistance, help for students to go to college, job training and education, environmental protections, and public health initiatives.
Some details on the House Budget Resolution:
- The proposal would cut SNAP spending by $150 billion over ten years by imposing even harsher time limits on unemployed, childless adults and by increasing "state flexibility" (meaning some version of block granting), which would mean the end of SNAP's fundamental commitment to providing vital food assistance to every American who qualifies for help.
- The plan uses the budget reconciliation process to fast-track at least $203 billion in cuts over ten years. Cuts could be made to nearly every vital safety net program that helps low-wage working families, children, seniors, students, and people with disabilities, including SNAP/CalFresh, TANF/CalWorks, Medicaid/Medi-Cal, Social Security Insurance (SSI), Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.
- Child Nutrition Programs are also facing cuts, including $1.6 billion from the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). CEP allows schools with a high percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced price meals to serve universally free meals, which reduces stigma associated with free meals and reduces administrative burden by eliminating the need to collect school meal debt.
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We need to speak out now.
Join us in urging all members of the California Congressional Delegation
to speak out in committee and on the House Floor against these harmful proposals which will only worsen hunger and poverty already being felt by Californians across the state. With the highest poverty rate in the nation, California cannot afford to sit out the fight to protect and strengthen vital programs and services that millions of working families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities rely on to live healthy, successful lives.
CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY!
Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or click
here to find your Congress member and to express your opposition to the House Budget Resolution that proposes drastic cuts to SNAP/CalFresh and the broader safety net.
Here is a sample script with specific asks to members and staff:
I strongly urge Rep. _____ to oppose
the House Budget Resolution that makes harmful cuts to SNAP/CalFresh, slashes the safety net and will harm millions of California families struggling to afford the basics, including food on the table, a roof over their heads, and access to health care. I ask you to:
- Oppose any budget that includes reconciliation instructions that create a fast-track process to force cuts to mandatory spending programs like SNAP/CalFresh, Medicaid/Medi-Cal, SSI, and TANF/CalWORKS.
- Oppose any legislation that would allow states to change or eliminate the federal guaranteed benefit for basic needs, such as food, shelter or medical care, for eligible participants.
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Don't cut, protect and strengthen SNAP/CalFresh! CalFresh helps struggling families and workers in our state put healthy food on their tables, improves academic and economic opportunity, and boosts our national, state, and local economies.
__________________________________________________________________________
I
t is particularly important for the following House Republicans to hear from their constituents. If you live in their district, please take a few minutes today to call the DC or district office. You can use the share of households in each respective district that benefit from CalFresh to help illustrate the how these proposals will only increase hunger and hardship among Members' constituencies.
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* NOTE: Rep. Valadao is one of 20 House Republicans that
signed a
letter (pdf)
last month expressing concern about cuts
to mandatory spending programs.
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DC office (
202) 225-4695
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Hanford district office (559) 582-5526
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Bakersfield district office (661) 864-7736
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Make your voice heard on social media! Here are
#GOPBudget sample tweets from our friends at the Food Research & Action Center.
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@YourMemberHandle: protect millions of Americans against hunger & poverty! Vote NO to proposed House #GOPBudget
http://bit.ly/2uDZnDs
- Will @YourMemberHandle protect children, seniors & people w/disabilities? Your #Budget2018 NO vote will prove it! http://bit.ly/2uDZnDs
- Millions of #California families rely on programs cut in the House #GOPBudget. Will you fight for them @YourMemberHandle? http://bit.ly/2uDZnDs
- California needs @YourMemberHandle to vote NO to hunger, poverty, & the House #GOPBudget: http://bit.ly/2uDZnDs #SaveTheSafetyNet
- .@YourMemberHandle: do you agree that no one should go hungry in America? Speak out against #GOPBudget http://bit.ly/2uDZnDs
You can find your Member's Twitter handle
here.
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