Updated April 2, 2004

Spring Recess Alert
Child Nutrition | Budget
TANF | Appropriations

The House and Senate will be heading home for their spring recess shortly (House: April 3-18, Senate: April 10-18), and anti-hunger advocates have an opportunity to weigh-in on a series of important issues during this period. In the "perfect storm" of legislation, we have converging at the same time: 1) FY2005 Congressional Budget Conference negotiations; 2) TANF Reauthorization; 3) Child Nutrition Reauthorization - Senate action; and 4) FY2005 Appropriations. In terms of timing, we know that the Budget Resolution will be decided prior to Senate action on Child Nutrition Reauthorization, and that action on appropriations is likely to heat up in May; TANF Reauthorization is ongoing.

For information on specific legislative proposals and analyses, go to FRAC's Child Nutrition Reauthorization Center. For a one-page overview of priority messages to Congress, click here.

**ACTION NEEDED**

During this recess, and throughout the spring, messages to your Members of Congress should include:

Child Nutrition Reauthorization Message to the Senate Agriculture Committee

Contact Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and urge them to support funding for child nutrition programs. In addition to provisions contained in the House-passed bill, H.R. 3873*, also include:

• Extension of the "Lugar" Summer Food Service Program pilots nationwide and to extend eligibility to all sponsors;
• Piloting in selected states, the expansion of Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) eligibility to family child care homes in rural areas where 40% (rather than 50%) of the children are low-income; and
• Expansion of the supper pilots to additional states.

However, oppose any Child Nutrition Program expansions that would be paid for by increasing the verification of children in the school meal programs or removing any safeguards that protect vulnerable children in these programs.

* FRAC's section-by-section analysis of H.R. 3873

Message to the House/Senate Budget Committees in Anticipation of Budget Conference

Contact Members of House and Senate Budget Committees and urge them to "Recede to the Senate Budget Resolution" which contains language that supports funding for child nutrition programs, including:

• Full funding for the three expiring child nutrition programs;
• Expansion of the Lugar summer pilots to all states and all sponsors; and
• Funding for S. 1549, which would allow free meal eligibility to go from 130% to 140% of poverty.
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TANF Message

With Republicans and Democrats disagreeing over the number and types of amendments and time needed for debate, further action on the TANF bill is likely postponed until after April recess. Low-income advocates are using a range of strategies to seek the most favorable outcome for low-income people. Some groups continue to ask for a two year extension of current law at the same time that all groups work on individual amendments to any TANF bill that moves.

On amendments to any Senate bill or Senate/House Conference Report, urge your Members to:

• Support the Lugar/Leahy anti-hunger amendment #2966;
• Support adequate funding for child care and other low-income family supports;
• Oppose unrealistic increased work requirements;
• Oppose "superwaiver" proposals;
• Support ameliorating the lifetime ban on benefits to drug felons; and
• Support a minimum wage increase.

For more on TANF and these issues, go to web sites of the Coalition on Human Needs and the Center for Community Change.

Appropriations Message

Urge your Members to support the following provisions in the upcoming appropriations process:

• WIC: Support increases in the President's budget proposal ($4.87 billion) to reflect rising costs for food and infant formula to fund a growing WIC caseload of approximately 7.86 million participants per month.
  
• TEFAP: Support $140 million to maintain mandatory funding for commodity purchases; plus $60 million for storage and distribution grants.
  
• CSFP: Support $134 million for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program to reach additional states, expand participation, and increase support for transportation and distribution.
  
• WIC Farmers' Market/Seniors Farmers Market: Support $25 million for the WIC Farmers' Market program and $20 million for the Seniors program.
  
• CFNP: Fund the Community Food and Nutrition Program at $12 million (under the jurisdiction of Labor-HHS-Education)
  

Click here to return to FRAC's Child Nutrition Reauthorization website.

Factsheets on Child Nutrition Programs School Breakfast  |  School Lunch  |  Afterschool  |  Summer Food Women, Infants, and Children  |  Child and Adult Care Food Program

Prepared by the Food Research & Action Center, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009; 202-986-2200; www.frac.org