From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (http://www.cbpp.org):
We’re still riding the excitement of last week’s failed vote on H.R. 2, the harmful version of the farm bill that would take away food assistance from 2 million people, including children, parents, people with disabilities, and working people. Without question, that victory would not have been possible without your efforts. But as we said immediately following the vote, the fight is not over.
House leadership has announced they will hold another vote on the farm bill by Friday, June 22. And the Senate is expected to introduce its version of the farm bill in early June — possibly right after Congress returns from the Memorial Day recess.
That means that between now and the end of June, we have four important tasks:
- Thanking moderate House Republicans who voted no on H.R. 2 last week and urging them to stand firm in opposing the House farm bill when it returns for another vote
- Going back to moderate House Republicans who voted for H.R. 2 but had previously expressed concern about the SNAP provisions to express your deep disappointment in their vote and urge them to reconsider — make sure to point out to them how the already-bad SNAP provisions got even worse during the floor debate
- Continuing to shape the media narrative about the importance of SNAP and the need for a bipartisan farm bill that protects and strengthens SNAP (we’ve got updated talking points to help with that!)
- Ensuring that senators understand the need for a bipartisan farm bill that protects and strengthens SNAP — that means no harmful cuts and changes like what’s in the House farm bill
If you haven’t already circled back with your representatives following last week’s House vote, please do so before the end of this week! Then, we have to keep it up: While members of Congress are home during Memorial Day recess next week, it is extremely helpful for them or their high-level staff to hear directly from constituents about this critical bill and the revote that is anticipated next month. You can participate in a district office call-in day with other national partners on Wednesday, May 30, and Thursday, May 31. You can find your members’ district office numbers on their websites here and urge your networks to join in. And please keep up the drumbeat in op-eds, letters to the editor, editorials, press events, and other media placements — repetition is key to getting our message across.
The dynamics of the Senate farm bill debate will be very different from what’s been happening in the House, so in today’s Scoop, we cover what to watch in the Senate. We also include a roundup of the latest CBPP materials on SNAP and the farm bill.
Thanks for your continued work to protect SNAP in the farm bill, along with everything else you’re doing at the federal and state level to protect low-income assistance programs more broadly. As we enter another phase of the farm bill fight, we remain grateful for your partnership, inspired by your dedication, and excited about what we can accomplish together.
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