6.19.17 House Republicans are working to finalize a House Budget Resolution that could include reconciliation cuts to entitlement programs such as SNAP/CalFresh, similar to the drastic cuts proposed in the President’s budget, which would abandon the American commitment to ensure no child goes hungry in this country and would leave the unemployed, the elderly, and low-income working families to bear the brunt of the cuts. The House of Representatives is now considering similar cuts to SNAP/CalFresh in its budget resolution. This is a critical time to influence Republican members before they meet about the House budget with their leadership and other caucus members.
Details on the harmful cuts in the President’s proposed budget:
The billions of dollars in SNAP/CalFresh cuts in the budget plan would withdraw the federal commitment to tackle hunger as a national issue by shifting $116 billion in costs to states, including a $1.8 billion state budget expense for California to maintain its commitment to fully funding CalFresh benefits for all eligible individuals. This would force the state to choose between cutting benefits, cutting other programs and/or raising taxes to cover CalFresh expenses to balance the state budget.
The proposal also includes an addition $75 billion in benefit cuts, affecting the unemployed, seniors and working families with children. Included in these cuts is the elimination of the $16 monthly minimum benefit, which would disproportionately harm households with seniors and people with disabilities.
Combined with cuts proposed to Medicaid/Medi-Cal in the budget plan—$1.3 trillion in total, which assumes cuts to Medicaid and subsidies for private health coverage in the House-passed AHCA bill plus an additional $600 billion over ten years—the President’s budget would result in millions of Americans struggling make impossible choices between basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare.
Take action today!
Call your Representative in Congress today by dialing the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and tell them to oppose any budget proposal that cuts food assistance for vulnerable Americans.
Specific asks to members and staff
Oppose any budget resolution that requires cuts or would change the financing structure in key programs like SNAP that help struggling families afford the basics, including food on the table, a roof over their heads, and access to health care.
Oppose any budget that includes “reconciliation instructions” that would 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.
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.
Remind your Representative that before we made a national commitment to end hunger, some areas of the country had serious problems with hunger, including children suffering from malnutrition. We don’t want to go back to that.
Stay tuned for further calls to action by signing up for CFPA’s Nutrition Action Alerts. link
Questions? Contact: Jared Call at 213.482.8200 ext 201
