Join us in paying tribute to the men and women who work hard, but still struggle to make ends meet by asking Congress to protect their access to food. When seasonal jobs, unstable hours, and low wages push Californians to teeter on the edge of stability, SNAP (known as CalFresh in California or food stamps) remains one of the only federal assistance programs available to help workers put food on the table. As Congress heads back into session after the August recess, they need to hear from you that access to SNAP should be protected and not harmed during Farm Bill negotiations.
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Ask Congress to Protect Access to SNAP During Farm Bill Negotiations
Over the last few months the House and Senate passed two separate proposals for how to structure SNAP through federal legislation known as the Farm Bill. The Senate’s version of the Farm Bill protected and strengthened SNAP while the House version of the Farm Bill proposed to cut benefits by billions and divert much of that money to an untested new scheme of work programs and unforgiving penalties against those who can’t prove every month that they work enough hours or qualify for an exemption. The House’s harmful version of the bill would make it more difficult for millions of Californians, including working parents and many low-wage workers, to put food on the table.
Now the House and Senate need to work out their differences through a Farm Bill Conference Committee. This small group of Congress members from the House and Senate will consider whether to adopt the House’s harmful proposals to cut people off of food assistance, before sending the bill to the President for his signature. The below four California Representatives were chosen to participate in negotiations to reconcile the starkly divergent Farm Bills passed by the Senate and House earlier this summer. They need to hear from you!
Make a short phone call to CA’s Farm Bill conferees and ask them to pass the Senate’s version of the farm bill.
- Jeff Denham (R-Modesto) P: (202) 225-4540
- Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) P: (202) 225-4111
- Jim Costa (D-Fresno) P: (202) 225-3341
- Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) P: (202) 225-2201
- Sample script: Hello. My name is ________. I live in ______, CA. I am calling to ask Representative ______ to ensure SNAP is protected by adopting the Senate’s bipartisan, common-sense Farm Bill in the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Unlike the House’s Farm Bill, the Senate version protects our low-income residents from harmful and unnecessary barriers to food access. The best outcome for California is a strong, bipartisan farm bill that protects SNAP. Thank you.
Tweet:
- Help, Don’t Hurt Low-Wage Workers. The House Farm Bill would take away food assistance for CA workers #HandsOffSNAP @RepJeffDenham @RepEdRoyce @RepJimCosta @RepMaxineWaters @CAFoodPolicy https://bit.ly/2MyQbKu
- SNAP helps working Californians afford food each year. The House farm bill would jeopardize this much needed food assistance: https://bit.ly/2MyQbKu #HandsOffSNAP @RepJeffDenham @RepEdRoyce @RepJimCosta @RepMaxineWaters @CAFoodPolicy
- The changes to SNAP in the House farm bill would burden workers with unwieldy rules and unproven work requirements #HandsOffSNAP @RepJeffDenham @RepEdRoyce @RepJimCosta @RepMaxineWaters @CAFoodPolicy https://bit.ly/2MyQbKu
Questions? Contact: Jared Call at 213.482.8200 ext 201
