March 17, 2006
Hon. Henry Bonilla
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Bonilla:
Federal food and nutrition programs provide a critical safety net for millions of working families and children in their daily lives and during extraordinary situations created by job loss, economic downturns or natural disasters. Evidence shows that these programs reduce hunger, lower the rate of low birthweight births, save lives, help children get ready for school, enhance student achievement, improve health and reduce obesity.
We urge your subcommittee to support these crucial programs during the FY2007 appropriations process. Specifically, we urge you to:
- Fund the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) at $5.388 billion, estimated to fully fund all eligible applicants , an anticipated average monthly caseload of 8.2 million low-income women, infants and young children. Maintain the $125 million contingency fund; reject the Administration’s proposal to cap WIC grants for nutrition services at 25 percent (reducing access to important nutrition and health services, such as immunization referrals, nutrition counseling and breastfeeding support); oppose restrictions on Medicaid adjunctive eligibility that would end benefits for eligible WIC recipients; oppose efforts to undercut reauthorization language setting aside MIS funds; and oppose proposals that would cripple WIC and harm its extraordinary record of success by requiring a state match for the program. Maintain the current moratorium on new WIC-only stores.
- Protect the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) by ensuring that the nearly one half million low-income seniors, mothers and young children who are currently enrolled in this program continue to receive the nutritious food packages that supplement their diets. CSFP provides USDA commodities to seniors 60 years or older and to some pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children up to 6 years old. Seniors currently are approximately 90 percent of participants. CSFP currently operates in 32 states, the District of Columbia and two Indian Reservations. The President's proposal to eliminate funding for CSFP would result in the loss of benefits by more than 470,000 monthly participants. His argument that seniors can replace CSFP with food stamps is incorrect. Seniors need both, currently may participate in both, and frequently rely on both.
- Expand the Simplified Summer Food Program from the current 26 states to all states to ensure that hungry children have access to nutritious meals during the summer months. During the school year, more than 15 million children receive free or reduced-price school lunches each day, but fewer than 3 million have access to summer meals due to complicated paperwork and accounting requirements for program sponsors. The Simplified Summer Food Program (formerly called the “Lugar pilot” program), currently available in 26 states, eliminates this complicated accounting, reduces unnecessary paperwork and decreases administrative costs while providing the full federal reimbursement. The 13 original pilot states saw a 26% increase in participation during the first three years of the pilot. This contrasts with the 28% decrease in participation in non-pilot states.
- Support Funding for the WIC Farmers’ Market Program at $20 million and the Seniors Farmers’ Market Program at $15 million. These programs help support local agriculture and provide fresh fruit and vegetables to low-income families which otherwise might not have access to these essential components of a balanced diet.
- Expand Supper Pilots for children of working parents in low-income areas: Currently seven states operate afterschool supper programs for children through a pilot program for low-income neighborhoods. Many low-income parents with school age children work non-traditional hours in either full-time or part-time jobs or while transitioning from welfare to work. Afterschool programs provide care and support for these families by operating expanded hours. Suppers can sustain the children through the early evening hours until their parents can pick them up after work, while at the same time providing critical education enrichment, physical activity and other key services.
- Maintain $140 million for mandatory USDA commodity purchases and provide $60 million for administrative support for TEFAP, The Emergency Food Assistance Program. TEFAP commodities reach households through local emergency food providers and fill the gaps for those in immediate need who are not receiving sufficient benefits from federal nutrition programs or not receiving other federal nutrition programs. TEFAP helps meet a rising need for emergency food from working poor people, families with children, seniors and others.
In addition to these priorities, we hope you will search for funding opportunities for other valuable programs authorized during the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, including:
Team Nutrition Network and Local Nutrition and Physical Activity Grants, which focus on creating healthy school nutrition environments, promote healthy eating habits, and increase physical activity among elementary and secondary students.
Review of Best Practices in the Breakfast Program, collecting and distributing model programs, along with recommendations to increase participation and overcome participation obstacles.
Access to Local Foods and School Garden Programs, which support farm-to-cafeteria projects and school garden programs.
Free Lunch and Breakfast Eligibility Pilot Programs, which expand the income limit for free lunch and breakfast to 185 percent of the poverty guidelines.
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides free fruits and vegetables to students in elementary and secondary schools.
With appropriate funding the food and nutrition programs prevent millions of families, children and elderly persons from going hungry. We urge the subcommittee to continue to support these vital programs during the fiscal year 2007 appropriations process.
Sincerely,
Ellen Teller |
James D. Weill President Food Research and Action Center 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington, DC 20009 |
