Advocacy Update: Congress Aiming to Pass Budget Reconciliation by July 4
U.S. Senate Republicans are poised to move quickly to advance a budget reconciliation bill that may mirror many of the harmful cuts from the recently House-passed bill that would take away 9.5 billion meals from children, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities each year. The scale of these changes cannot be overstated–across the U.S., it would result in more than 2 million children losing some or all of their SNAP benefits and take away health care access through Medicaid from nearly 11 million people.
Western Washington is represented by all Democratic members of Congress. Our House members have already voted in opposition to the reconciliation bill and our U.S. Senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, have been vocal about their opposition now that the legislation is under consideration in the Senate. Still, it is important for you and others to message your representatives to thank them for their support and encourage their ongoing advocacy. Of course, Food Lifeline will continue to work with you and our partners to monitor actions in Congress that relate to your mission work.
Please click the button below to go to Food Lifeline’s Action Center:
If you’re ready to do more, now is a great time to act. Members of Congress will soon return home for in-district work periods (recess) in July and August. This is a key opportunity to make your voice heard.
If you’d like assistance scheduling meetings with your elected officials, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help.
We also encourage you to raise awareness about this issue within your community and with your state and local leaders. Their voices are powerful in building momentum and putting pressure on Congress to protect SNAP from harmful cuts.
To help you get started, here’s a sample message you can use.
- Protect nutrition programs in budget reconciliation legislation: Please do not include cuts to nutrition program spending in budget reconciliation legislation. Such cuts will harm our neighbors facing hunger. Food banks are already struggling to meet the current demand and cannot accommodate a significant increase in need.