MAZON Deeply Concerned About House Farm Bill Proposal, Urges Members to Vote No

May 17, 2024

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Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson released his long-awaited Farm Bill proposal. The bill aims to freeze future updates to SNAP’s Thrifty Food Plan, which ensures that federal nutrition benefits keep pace with economic realities. This would result in an estimated $30 billion cut over the next decade to federal nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Puerto Rico’s Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and the Summer EBT program. Abby J. Leibman, President & CEO of MAZON, issued the following response:

“This is insulting and unacceptable. With over 44 million Americans facing hunger, Chairman Thompson would rather double down on harmful and irresponsible policies to cut nutrition assistance for those in need. I find it ridiculous that once again, conservatives are looking to ‘refocus’ the purpose of SNAP — this time to ‘promote a healthy lifestyle.’ Let’s be clear: SNAP is an anti-hunger program, plain and simple. We cannot allow politicians to attempt revisionist history on this and other vital safety net programs. If this bill were to become law, it would be a staggering and unfortunate missed opportunity to address the acute and growing needs of real Americans. All Members of Congress must reject this proposal and get serious about working together — with both chambers and both parties — to advance common-sense, bipartisan solutions to reverse the course of hunger in this country.”

In contrast to Chairman Thompson’s bill, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow’s Farm Bill outline aims to protect the integrity and effectiveness of SNAP, while also advancing several of MAZON’s longtime priorities. Her proposal would remove the Basic Allowance for Housing for military families seeking SNAP, authorize Puerto Rico to transition away from its inadequate Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP), and strengthen Tribal food sovereignty with the acknowledgment that Tribes know best how to support their own people.

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States will be allowed to opt out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program if state officials decide they cannot or will not pay the increased cost share under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Democratic members of the House Agriculture Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee repeatedly pointed out at a hearing today. The three witnesses all agreed. Read more.

Partnering with MAZON: Fighting Hunger and Nourishing the Jewish Soul (TC Jewfolk)

TC Jewfolk is proud to partner with MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger – a national organization inspired by Jewish values – to fight to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel.

“We need committed advocates who do the work to move legislation aimed at ending hunger forward, as well as to fight harmful policies that would erode the safety net that enables so many people to put food on the table,” Haviv explained. “That work must happen at every level, and we are committed to a strong effort in statehouses nationwide.” Read more.