Sign your organization on to this letter urging Congress to protect and strengthen SNAP.
Dear XXXXXX: [House/Senate Chairs/Ranking & Leadership]
We, the XXX national, state, and local organizations representing communities across the country, urge the House and Senate to reject proposals for any cuts or attempts to weaken SNAP and the child nutrition programs.
SNAP remains a strong and effective tool in the fight against hunger and poverty. It is an essential lifeline for millions of families across the nation. Proposed cuts to SNAP threaten the food security and health of vulnerable individuals and communities.
Why SNAP Matters
SNAP provides much more than just food assistance: It is a critical support system that promotes food security, economic well-being, and better health outcomes. The program plays a vital role in addressing hunger, reducing health care costs, and improving the long-term prospects of households with low incomes.
SNAP Promotes Health and Well-Being
SNAP has been shown to improve health outcomes across the lifespan, from better birth outcomes to improved diabetes management. Research has demonstrated that access to SNAP reduces the likelihood of child obesity, lowers psychological distress, and decreases the need for costly medical treatments. SNAP is linked with reduced health care costs and utilization, such as decreases in emergency room visits — which can decrease Medicaid and other health care spending. Conversely, cutting SNAP benefits would have detrimental impacts on health, especially for children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities, increasing food insecurity and related health complications. Cuts to SNAP are likely to increase health care spending.
SNAP Supports Economic Stability
SNAP not only helps individuals and families meet their basic needs, but it also boosts the economy. The majority of SNAP benefits are used within three weeks of receipt, which is a strong investment in local economies. Every dollar spent on SNAP can generate between $1.50 to $1.80 in economic activity during an economic downturn. Studies show that children who benefit from SNAP early in life experience increased educational attainment, improved job prospects, and better overall well-being as adults. Cutting SNAP would undermine both short-term and long-term economic benefits and harm local economies, especially in rural and low-income communities.
The Impact of SNAP Cuts
Cuts to SNAP would not only increase food insecurity but also shift the burden of food assistance to local governments and charities, which cannot fully meet the need. For example, while emergency food programs help, they only provide one meal for every nine meals that SNAP supplies. The proposed cuts would further strain food banks, food retailers, and those serving vulnerable populations.
Additionally, reduced SNAP benefits would hurt the broader economy. Food retailers, including grocery stores and farmers' markets, depend on SNAP dollars to stay afloat. In areas where food retailers are already struggling, any reduction in SNAP benefits would have a catastrophic impact on businesses and the local economy.
SNAP also provides a key pathway to ensuring access to school meals and the Summer EBT Program by allowing direct certification in these programs without an application. Cutting SNAP would have numerous ripple effects on these key nutrition supports, including reintroducing unnecessary paperwork for families and schools and causing some children who are eligible for school meals and Summer EBT to fall through the cracks. These cuts — along with additional proposals to dramatically reduce the number of schools able to offer free meals to all of their students and impose significant and burdensome school meal paperwork requirements — would limit access to free and reduced-price school meals.
A strong economy reduces participation in safety net programs. When people can find good paying jobs, reliance on government assistance naturally decreases. However, cutting these programs does not reflect strength — it only removes a bridge to self-sufficiency.