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Picture Above: U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes (CT-05) led a round table discussion and heard from community members, advocates and other stakeholders on the impact and importance of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and to advocate for a strongly funded program as part of the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill legislation. Hosted by Connecticut Foodshare and End Hunger Connecticut! at Central Connecticut State University on June 9, 2023.
As the 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization process ramps up, End Hunger Connecticut! (EHC!) calls on Congress to strengthen SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) in the 2023 Farm Bill and oppose harmful cuts to critical food and nutrition assistance access.
We implore Congress to work to protect and uplift SNAP for the over 375,000 CT residents that rely on it each month for critical food and nutrition. We are deeply concerned with growing calls from some policymakers to enact deep cuts and harmful changes* in SNAP this year in the budget process and in the farm bill and urge active opposition of any such proposals.
SNAP is the nation’s most important and effective anti-hunger program, putting food on the table for 1 in 8 CT families. SNAP helps working families, children and older adults, and people with disabilities and is also an important public-private partnership, helping families afford a basic diet and boosting our local economies.
As we head into the 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization, our top priority must be to protect and strengthen SNAP. It’s essential to ensure that any final farm bill does not include any cuts or other harmful changes to SNAP that would take food assistance away from families or otherwise restrict program access. This same principle should apply to any budget resolution adopted as well.
In addition, we urge Congress to secure improvements to SNAP in three core areas as much as possible:
Program Access
- SNAP currently helps over 40 million Americans afford sufficient and healthy diets. But millions of food insecure individuals are excluded, or have limited access to the program’s critical benefits. People of color are also disproportionately represented in excluded groups.
Benefit Adequacy
- To effectively reduce food insecurity, SNAP benefits must be sufficient to support a healthy diet that aligns with modern dietary recommendations.
Customer Service
- SNAP must keep pace with technology and incorporate human-centered performance measurement criteria.
Like so many others, we are greatly alarmed to read reports of some policymakers already pushing for cuts and other harmful changes* including expanding work requirements beyond the already harsh existing requirement for able-bodied adults, and other harmful changes in SNAP. We are in strong opposition to such proposals and hope we can count on our delegates to actively oppose any such proposals and work to ensure any final Farm Bill protects and strengthens SNAP.
With pandemic-era relief programs concluded in CT and nationwide during a time of record inflation and rising food costs, we know families and older adults are facing a steep hunger cliff, especially those losing the Emergency SNAP Allotments that phased out earlier this year. While we understand Emergency Allotments were always meant to be temporary, making cuts to SNAP in the Farm Bill would only hurt our families even further. Strengthening SNAP in the 2023 Farm Bill is a tangible action we can take to ensure SNAP households are supported during this time of transition and for the next five years.
The roundtable discussion about the Farm Bill with Congresswoman Hayes was a powerful demonstration of shared advocacy from multiple stakeholders that serve CT residents of all ages and backgrounds who rely on SNAP and agree that it should be strengthened – not slashed – in the upcoming Farm Bill. While the round table included a robust discussion about everything from children, to BIPOC communities, to our farmers, one simple, pertinent point was overwhelming clear in the comments of both the Congresswoman and those on the panel of experts: above all, we just need to feed people. And SNAP feeds people. End Hunger CT! thanks the Congresswoman for her outspoken advocacy for nutrition programs in this legislation and her continued dedication to SNAP and feeding families in Connecticut and beyond. – Julieth Callejas, Executive Director, End Hunger Connecticut!
Watch the recorded live stream of the round table discussion here.
About us: End Hunger CT! works statewide to eliminate hunger and promote healthy nutrition through outreach, public education, and advocacy. EHC! offers SNAP assistance, nutrition program promotion, doubles SNAP at farmers’ markets, and more to help CT residents in need. To learn more about our services, click here.
Have any questions? Contact our Communications Coordinator, Kimberly Nguyen, at knguyen@endhungerct.org.
