The Trump Administration’s latest proposed rule on SNAP Standardization of State Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allowances is an attack on poor and working-class Americans that will also cut our veterans off from vital food assistance.
Hunger does not discriminate: it impacts seniors, working families, and our veterans. Across the United States, over 1.4 million veterans depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to reduce their risk of hunger and to help make ends meet. In California, the program, known as CalFresh, helps feed over 96,000 of our vets. According to Jack Murphy, Deputy Director of the Veterans Transition Center, “CalFresh offers another layer of a safety net.”
For many veterans, life after the military imposes a number of challenges. Disability, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other factors make it challenging to adjust to civilian life. Systemic injustices related to race and class further exacerbate the struggle. These intersecting oppressions and injustices make it more likely veterans will experience hunger.
“I had back pain stemming from military service and was unable to work for a while,” says Lamar Jacques Green, a veteran from Monterey County. “I have been that single father of four who went to bed hungry,” said Green. Protecting access to SNAP, our nation’s most important anti-hunger program, is one way we can support veterans who are facing significant barriers to food and economic security.
“They need more benefits for CalFresh,” says Tiffany Bass-Breazile, a disabled veteran raising her grandchildren in the Monterey Peninsula. “They don’t do enough for people who are homeless and veterans,” she says. But rather than increase supports for those in need, the Trump Administration is proposing to make it even harder to put food on the table. In October, USDA, proposed a new rule change for SNAP that would reduce benefits by changing how SNAP accounts for utility expenses when calculating benefit levels.
Reducing SNAP’s benefits will only further the risk of hunger for thousands of Californians. Help protect the power of SNAP for all of those who may find themselves in a time of need – including our veterans – let the Trump Administration know you oppose their proposed rule.
Say “NO” to the proposed rule that would fuel hunger across California
Submit comments in opposition to the rule by December 2nd:
We ask that you modify the language to reflect your own thoughts and experiences so that each submitted comment counts as unique. Submit your comments here by December 2nd, 2019. There are a number of resources available to help you prepare your comments, including the following sample templates:
Questions? Contact: Melissa Cannon at 209.200.8446
