Home > FRAC 2007 Farm Bill Food Stamp Reauthorization Center > Action Alert - 1/05/07

FR: Sign On Letter in Support of Strong Nutrition Title of 2007 Farm Bill

Please join other national, regional, state and local organizations in signing on to a letter in support of the strongest possible nutrition title of the 2007 Farm Bill.

This statement is based directly on a joint statement issued recently by the 13 organizations that comprise the National Anti-Hunger Organizations.

The stakes for hungry people are high. The Food Stamp Program, which is the nation’s first line of defense against hunger, is due for reauthorization this year. It is vital not only that lawmakers renew the program, but also that they address shortfalls in benefit adequacy and improve access for vulnerable people.

The competition for resources in the Farm Bill will be stiff. In a context in which there may be few or no new dollars to expand Farm Bill programs, other stakeholders are seeking added investments in the commodities, conservation, energy, research and other titles of the Farm Bill. Accordingly, speaking up strongly on behalf of the nutrition title is essential to make food stamp investments a priority.

Action on the 2007 Farm Bill is expected to heat up early in the new Congress. The FY 2008 Budget, which will affect prospects for improvements in the Food Stamp Program and emergency feeding aid, will be the subject of Administration proposals and House and Senate Budget Committee hearings in February and March. The House and Senate Agriculture Committees are expected to hold hearings on key Farm Bill proposals in coming months, with floor action on the Farm Bill possible by mid-year. The deadline for Farm Bill reauthorization is October 1, 2007.

In order to build momentum for Food Stamp and emergency feeding aid initiatives, we will issue a preliminary version of the joint letter in January, before the President’s FY 2008 Budget is released. We will continue to accept additional sign ons thereafter and will continue to build the list of supporters for each critical juncture in the legislative process, but it is essential to have as many signatures as possible in the next three weeks.

We hope you will help get us off to a good start. Please: 1) Sign your organization on (first sign-on deadline is January 25th); and 2) Circulate the letter widely to your member organizations and allied organizations and ask them to sign on.

Do not hesitate to contact us with feedback or for technical assistance (evollinger@frac.org or eteller@frac.org).

We look forward to our continued work together.

For more information about the 2007 Farm Bill see FRAC 2007 Farm Bill Food Stamp Reauthorization Center

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