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FARM BILL UPDATE

October 2012

The Federal Farm Bill, authorized every five years is the largest source of federal funding for critical nutrition programs, including SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly the Food Stamp Program).As you may know, both the House Agricultural Committee and the Senate passed different versions of the Farm Bill over the summer, leaving for recess without a final 2012 Farm Bill reauthorized.

Senate: On June 21, the final version of the Senate Farm Bill did contain $4.5 billion in cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), these cuts will result in an estimated 500,000 households a year losing $90 per month in SNAP benefits. We applaud the Senate for rejecting additional threats in the bill that would have damaged the structure of the program, leaving poorer and hungrier the millions of Americans who rely on SNAP for their basic food needs. 

House Agriculture Committee: In July 2012 the House Agricultural Committee passed a Farm Bill that cuts SNAP by over $16 billion. These cuts would be devastating for our most vulnerable neighbors:

· 500,000 households would see their benefits cut by an average $90 per month;

· 2 to 3 million individuals would lose their food assistance entirely;

· Nearly 300,000 kids would lose free school meals.

Read more

What Next?

The House and Senate will need to reconcile the differences between the two bills before the Farm Bill can move forward. Congress is set to return from recess November 13 at which point more details will become available. But YOU CAN ACT NOW! Link to the sign on letter below. You can make the difference.

What Can You Do?

Take ACTION NOW