The House of Representatives just introduced a Farm Bill last week that will have a significant negative impact on millions of food-insecure Americans. The proposed bill includes many provisions that would increase hunger, such as:
- expanding current work requirements to include people other than able-bodied adults without dependents, such as adults 50-59 and parents of children over the age of six.
- decreasing time limits for those who are food insecure due to unemployment or underemployment - meaning that, when an individual loses a job or has hours cut at work, they will have only one month to obtain new paid employment or enroll in a work training program before losing basic food assistance.
- placing additional administrative burdens and reducing flexibility for state and county agencies.
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and other Feeding America network food banks simply can’t make up the difference if these cuts were to pass. SNAP provides the first line of defense against hunger, providing food to nearly 42 million Americans annually. In fact, 1 in every 4 children in this country receive food assistance from SNAP. Research has demonstrated that adults who had access to SNAP as children reported better health and lower rates of diet-related disease.
We need you to call your representative in Congress today and tell them to vote no on this bill. Tell them you are deeply concerned that the proposed Farm Bill would increase hunger and food insecurity for parents with children and older workers.
Click here to find your representative.
In our service region, we have two representatives who serve on the House Agriculture Committee. It’s important that they hear about this issue from anti-hunger advocates like you. Contact Representatives Gibbs and Fudge to make your voice heard today:
- Congressman Bob Gibbs (202-225-6265)
- Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (202-225-7032)
Thank you for your advocacy efforts!