Add Your Voice!

Add Your Voice to the Federal Debate!

Amid talks of federal deficit reduction, we must remind our lawmakers that there are people attached to the decisions they make. Currently, a bi-partisan group of lawmakers, including our own US Senator Patty Murray, is meeting with President Obama and Vice President Biden to negotiate a deficit reduction plan. They hope to reach an agreement within the coming week. A major issue in the talks concerns a proposal to cut $4 trillion in savings from basic programs over the next decade, programs that help end hunger including those that fill the cupboards of struggling families and the shelves of our member food banks.

As anti-hunger advocates, it is essential that we demand that as a key principle that programs for low-income families and individuals must be protected in current debates. Cutting SNAP (food stamps), TEFAP (for food banks) and child nutrition programs will push more working families into poverty. Struggling families in Washington are at a tipping point. If we lose these powerful, foundational programs, they will be extremely difficult to restore.

Let your Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and President Obama know that making cuts to basic needs programs like SNAP and TEFAP are inappropriate ways to solve a budget.

Take Action

People who are hungry cannot afford to wait for the economy to recover while their children miss dinner. Please send your message to Senators Murray and Cantwell and to President Obama today to tell them that all major deficit reduction packages in the past 30 years have exempted key safety-net programs and, especially in this economy, the current negotiations should too. Urge them to include fair increases in revenue in any deficit reduction plan.

Send a message today! These debates will be resolved in the coming days.

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*Information provided by Food Lifeline