To help bring attention to the critical need to boost SNAP benefits in future COVID-19 relief legislation, the Food Research & Action Center, Feeding America, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and the Center for American Progress have organized a National Day of Action on April 22nd. We plan to participate and hope you will join us and other allies and advocates across the country. Please encourage your network to join you.
Millions of California families are facing serious hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Congress has passed a few bipartisan laws that provide some relief — including the Families First and CARES Act — much more needs to be done to prevent additional harm and to assist those who were largely or entirely left out of the laws passed so far.
Federal negotiations on the next COVID-19 bill are moving forward quickly. We are hearing that the next relief package will include assistance for businesses and hospitals, but not a boost to people who have been left out of relief measures so far (such as immigrants and many people with very low incomes). We are also hearing that SNAP — one of the largest and most effective anti-poverty programs in the country, and one of the most rapid and effective forms of stimulus we can enact — is also not included in the package. Speaker Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Schumer are already working on a proposal for another major relief bill, which we have learned could move in late May or June. Now is the time to reach out to Congress as they work to develop their policy priorities for that bill, in preparation for eventual bipartisan negotiations.
Call/Email
Contact your California Senator and Representative on April 22nd. This should take you just a few minutes. Need help finding your Members of Congress? Use this tool, which provides the phone numbers and email submission tools for California’s Congressional Delegation.
Sample script: Hello. My name is _. I live in _, CA. I am calling to ask Representative/Senator _ to boost SNAP benefits in the next COVID-19 relief bill. The next COVID-19 relief bill must include the following SNAP priorities: 1. boost SNAP maximum benefits by 15 percent; 2. increase the minimum SNAP benefit from $16 to $30; and 3. suspend all SNAP administrative rules that would terminate or cut benefits. These temporary provisions must continue until the economy improves. The provisions will not only help households put food on the table during this crisis, but will also help to stimulate the economy.
Tweet
FRAC, Feeding America, CBPP, and CAP are hosting a Twitterstorm on April 22nd from 12:00-1:00 p.m. PST as part of the National Day of Action. We encourage you to participate and to tag your members of Congress. Need help finding your Members of Congress on social media? Use this tool, which provides the social media accounts for California’s Congressional Delegation. Check out FRAC’s COVID-19 Updates page for more resources and sample tweets on the Day of Action, which will be added leading up to Wednesday.
Share
Click to tweet: On Wed, 4/22 @12pm PST, join @fractweets, our national partners and other advocates for a Day of Action Twitterstorm urging Congress and the Administration to boost SNAP benefits and help families put food on the table during #COVID19. Learn more: bit.ly/fracCOVID-19
Questions?
Contact: Melissa Cannon at 209.200.8446 or visit www.cfpa.net/covid19 or www.cfpa.net/federal-advocacy
