Sunday, May 19, 2013

Day 139 - Signed a Petition to Fight Hunger & Oppose Congress

Hunger in this country is a heartbreaking issue.  The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides low-income families with the financial assistance they need to purchase food. SNAP is the United States' most successful anti-hunger program; close to 47 million low-income Americans used SNAP funds (also known as food stamps) to meet their most basic nutritional needs.

But on May 15, the House Agriculture Committee approved a sweeping Farm Bill that would trim the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program dramatically. The House bill would cut about $2.5 billion a year — or a little more than 3 percent —from the domestic food aid program, which is used by one in seven Americans. More than two million people would be dropped from the program under the House plan, according to a congressional estimate. 

While the need for cuts to federal programs is undeniable, hunger funding is simply an area that cannot be slashed. The full Senate is expected to start work on the bill in late May; house action is expected this summer. Current programs expire September 30. We have done such a great job of reducing the instances of severe hunger here in the U.S., and now isn't the time to fall back on that progress.  

So for today's random act of kindness I signed a petition to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas asking him to not pass the Farm Bill with such devastating cuts built in.

Day 139 -  Signed a Petition 




 

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