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The food stamp and other programs face possible cuts when the House and Senate Budget Committees are expected to review and vote on the FY 2006 Budget Resolution during the week of March 7.

New Reports on Threats to Food Stamp Program

A National Journal Congress Daily story earlier this week underscores the seriousness of the threat, particularly to the Food Stamp Program. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg said "it was too soon to comment on specific cuts he was exploring. But people familiar with the discussions said Republicans were beginning to explore new fees for veterans enrolling in healthcare programs and reductions in programs such as food stamps that would not hit farmers as much as some of Bush's other agriculture proposal...A spokesman for the House Budget Committee Chairman [Jim] Nussle said the panel was working with the House Agriculture Committee to target 'waste, fraud and abuse in the Food Stamp program.'" (Source: "GOP Weighs Cuts to Once-Sacred Cows," by Peter Cohn, CongressDailyAM, 3/1/05). Possibilities for cuts include, but in this scenario could be well beyond, the President's proposal to eliminate food stamp categorical eligibility for households receiving TANF-funded services but not TANF cash assistance, a move that USDA estimates would cut 300,000 people.

Actions to Take

1) Contact your Senators and House Members to oppose budget cuts and caps in nutrition programs; See talking points as a basis for your message.

2) Join National Budget Call-In Day "Opportunity For All Campaign" on March 8;

3) Write state-specific letters to lawmakers and newspapers regarding the nutrition programs. Download a template written by FRAC and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP);

4) Sign our petition to oppose program cuts. Sign your organization onto FRAC and America's Second Harvest-The Nation's Food Bank Network new letter from nutrition, farm and conservation groups to oppose "Budget Reconciliation" instructions that would direct the Senate and House Agriculture Committees to cut program spending. One of the most significant threats to nutrition funding will occur if the Congressional Budget Resolution directs the Agriculture Committees to cut program spending under their jurisdiction by a set amount. It is critical to limit such an instruction, especially to keep the amount of overall cuts to a minimum. Although lawmakers who vote to impose a Reconciliation cut to the Agriculture Committees may not intend the cuts to come from nutrition programs, there is no guarantee that the Committees won't cut nutrition deeply. The sign-on letter from nutrition, farm and conservation groups is part of a strategy to protect against such "Reconciliation." The letter has the support of FRAC and America's Second Harvest as well as the American Farm Bureau. An earlier letter aimed mainly at national organizations garnered more than 100 sign-ons and significant attention in the media and on Capitol Hill.

We recognize that many of you are receiving messages about one or more of these actions from allies such as America's Second Harvest, CBPP, Coalition on Human Needs and others. With so much at stake, we hope you will understand why so many groups are reaching out on this topic. We strongly urge you to do what you can.

Call in the Opportunity for All Campaign National Budget Call-In Day Tuesday, March 8 (See toll-free number below)

--Ask your Senators and Representatives to tell the Budget Committee they oppose and will vote on the floor against any budget that fails to protect children, older people, and families because it cuts nutrition programs like food stamps, Medicaid, education, job training, housing, and other vital services.

--Tell them to oppose any budget that cuts basic services now or sets caps that cut more and more each year. Tell them these cuts will hurt children, the elderly, families and veterans and will shift costs to your state and communities..

TOLL-FREE NUMBER FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 8: 1-800-247-2971

This toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee which has launched a new budget campaign, www.saveourservices.org If you can't get through on that line, please call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

What's at stake: Congress will be looking at the President's budget recommendations, which made cuts in Medicaid, Food Stamps, child care, housing, and many other vital services. Some Members of Congress want even bigger cuts.

The President's budget not only proposed cuts for the coming year, but proposed a 5-year cap (not one dime more) on the total amount for programs that need annual appropriations (so-called "discretionary" programs -- like education, housing, WIC, Head Start, and many more). Inflation alone will shrink these programs by 16 percent in the fifth year. The House and Senate Budget Committee chairs have been talking about applying a similarly restrictive cap on basic programs like Medicaid, Food Stamps, services for abused and neglected children, child care, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). These programs now can adjust to the economy, emergencies and other changes. If capped, they will lose that ability. (If you read about caps or cuts in "mandatory" or "entitlement" programs, this is what they're talking about.)

Feedback and Assistance

We are happy to provide additional help for your efforts, and are anxious to get your feedback on your work and on how Members of Congress are reacting to your messages. Feel free to contact us at FRAC (202-986-2200): Ellen Vollinger (x3016 or evollinger@frac.org), Ellen Teller (x3013 or eteller@frac.org), or Lynn Parker (x3012 or lparker@frac.org).

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