Home > FRAC 2007 Farm Bill Food Stamp Reauthorization Center > Action Alert - 7/26/07

RE: House to Vote on Farm Bill Today; Your Calls Need to Support Nutrition Title Investments

The House will take up the Farm, Nutrition and Biofuels Act of 1977 (the “Farm Bill”) (H.R. 2419) today under procedures passed by the House Rules Committee early this morning. At stake are $4 billion (over five years) in new nutrition title investments to improve Food Stamp Program benefits and access and raise funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Significant anti-hunger fights loom today, as the nutrition title’s financing is at issue and final passage of H.R. 2419 is in doubt. Your help today is urgently needed to secure passage of H.R. 2419 nutrition title priorities and funding.

Procedural Outlook

Under the Rule for H.R. 2419, only specific amendments will be in order. House Rules Committee Member Jim McGovern (D-MA), who had sought an additional $1.6 billion for the nutrition title, instead was able to secure ten-year funding streams for nutrition at issue late in the process, and so will be speaking in favor of the Rule and voting for the bill.

Specific threats to the nutrition title include: opposition to the Rule on H.R. 2419 (the first order of business when the bill goes to the floor), opposition to the offsets to pay for the nutrition title improvements (contained in the Rule), and opposition to final passage of H.R. 2419. No negative food stamp amendments will be in order if the Rule passes.

Nutrition Title Investments

The nutrition title of H.R. 2419 would invest $4 billion over five years to improve food stamp allotment levels and eligibility (by increasing the standard and child care deductions, raising the minimum monthly benefit, and disregarding military combat pay), improve food stamp resource rules (by exempting retirement and education savings accounts from affecting food stamp eligibility and indexing for inflation the $2000 and $3000 asset limits), and raise mandatory spending for TEFAP commodity purchases. These investments represent real progress in addressing hunger in the United States. A summary of the nutrition title provisions reported by the House Agriculture Committee is posted at http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/Legislation/110/FB/Nutrition%20Title.doc

Fight Over Nutrition Title Funding

In order to pay for the H.R. 2419 nutrition title investments, the House Ways and Means Committee has made a change in tax law affecting foreign companies based in countries with little or no income tax.. On July 25th, a controversy erupted about whether the tax law change merely closes a loophole (as maintained by the majority) or raises taxes (as contended by the minority). Opposition to those offsets is expected to lead to defections among Republicans who formerly supported H.R. 2419. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson’s (D-MN) strong statement in support of the $4 billion in nutrition title funding is posted at http://agriculture.house.gov/list/press/agriculture_dem/st_072507.html

Messages and Action Needed

Calls, faxes and e-mails: Contact all House Members and urge them 1) to support the nutrition title of H.R. 2419 that makes $4 billion five-year investments in the Food Stamp Program and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); and 2) to vote for the Rule on H.R. 2419. To reach your Member of Congress, call (toll-free) 1-800-965-4701.*

Talking points: 35 million people in the United States live in households that face a constant struggle against hunger. Hunger is a serious problem in our state/community. Food stamp benefits average only $1 per person per meal; the minimum monthly benefit — most frequently applied to seniors — has been stuck at a mere $10 for 30 years. Our nation can do better.

Floor Speeches: Ask favorable House Members to speak out in strong support for the nutrition title, in support for doing even more to address the needs of hungry people, and against negative amendments to the nutrition title. Offer Members data and anecdotal information about hunger in your communities and the clients you serve and ask Members to incorporate that information in floor remarks. FRAC can help you draft talking points.

Feedback and Technical Assistance

C-SPAN will carry live coverage of the floor debate.

For feedback about your contacts with Members of Congress or for technical assistance, please contact evollinger@frac.org and eteller@frac.org. The votes on the rule, amendments and final passage could be close. Your calls and reports can make a vital difference in the outcome.

* The toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee. AFSC welcomes groups to circulate and use the toll-free number in support of non-partisan budget goals and without linking the alert to a Web site soliciting donations or actions which may be used to support partisan causes.

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