From the Food Research and Action Center (http://www.frac.org):
Newly Released FRAC SNAP Maps Tool Highlights SNAP’s Importance — Especially in Small Towns and Rural Areas
Members of Congress are home for the August recess. Now is an opportune time to push back against the House FY 2018 Budget Resolution before Congress returns to Washington on September 5. The Resolution includes harmful cuts and structural changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), and other important safety net programs.
Act Now: House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced his intention to bring up the budget for a vote on the House floor the first week in September.
Below are tips and tools to add to your advocacy arsenal.
Key Messages: No cuts, no block grants, no structural changes!
Urge your Members to:
“Vote NO” on the Budget Resolution and speak out strongly against any cuts to SNAP, child nutrition, and any safety net programs; and
“Vote NO” to block grants or structural changes that would reduce eligibility for low-income households enrolled in SNAP and for low-income children who qualify for free school meals under CEP.
Use FRAC’s SNAP Maps to highlight the potential impact that cuts to SNAP would have for families in your state — and in every county across the country — with special emphasis on small towns and rural counties. The data will be helpful in dispelling frequently repeated myths and stereotypes about SNAP.
Share this factsheet on CEP data from your state. This resource provides data on the number of schools and students in your state who would be potentially impacted by the proposed weakening of CEP.
Actions to Take During Recess:
Schedule a Meeting in Your Members’ Local Office: Arrange a meeting, along with other community leaders (especially advocates and impacted community members in small towns and rural counties highlighted in SNAP Maps), to discuss the importance of the federal nutrition programs. Use the above tools to make the message clear what cuts to SNAP, CEP, and other programs would mean for constituents. For tips for a successful visit, be sure to check out:
Use Local and Social Media to Tell the Story: Tell the story of what the proposed cuts to SNAP, CEP, and other programs would mean to local families via op-eds, letters to the editor, and tag your Member in social media posts.
Attend a Town Hall Meeting or Engage With USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue on his “Back to Our Roots” RV Tour: Here is a list of town hall meetings and Perdue’s RV Tour schedule.
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