Congress Just Left D.C. But the Fight to Protect SNAP Is Far From Over

What’s at stake? 

Millions of families in every single state are at risk of losing critical SNAP benefits, making it harder to afford groceries and keep kids nourished and healthy. 

Fewer groceries. More hardship. Less stability for the 1 in 5 kids in our nation already facing hunger. 

With Members of Congress back home for August recess, you have another chance to speak up. They may have left Washington, but they’re still making critical decisions about federal funding for programs like SNAP, WIC, and school meals — decisions that could impact children and our communities for years to come. 

The Impact of H.R. 1 Is Just the Beginning 

SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is one of the most effective tools we have to fight child hunger. And, while the loss of these benefits because of the passage of this bill will be devastating enough, the ripple effect of these cuts are much deeper. With families losing access to SNAP, schools will be required to collect and process more burdensome paperwork to enroll qualifying kids in free or reduced-price school meals and states will face increased red tape and administrative costs to certify them for SUN Bucks (Summer EBT), significantly increasing the risk of hunger for millions of kids nationwide. 

While H.R. 1 already slashes funding and increases administrative barriers for hungry kids, future cuts could be on the table as Congress turns its attention to funding the government and the Farm Bill. 

Now is the time to tell lawmakers: No child should go hungry. No family should lose access to the food they need. 

Take Action While Congress Is Home

From now until the end of August, your voice can make a real difference. The fight against hunger doesn’t take a recess. Neither should we. 

Here are three easy ways to take action during the August recess - kids are counting on us: 

Participate in a Town Hall

• Town halls are public events where Members of Congress meet with constituents. Find a nearby event by checking your representative’s website or social media channels. If they are hosting a public event, show up and speak out for kids. Ask them - how are they going to protect federal nutrition programs moving forward?

Call Your Representative

• It only takes two minutes. Go to House.gov and Senate.gov to find your Members of Congress and their local office number.
• Say this: "Hi, I'm a constituent, and I care deeply about protecting SNAP and school meals. These programs are critical to provide the nutrition kids need to stay healthy and strong. I urge you to oppose any more cuts to federal nutrition programs and reverse the harmful cuts to SNAP in H.R. 1."

Send a Quick Email

• Tell your Representative that these cuts went too far and that protecting programs that feed kids should be a priority. Use our action alert to email them directly at: nokidhungry.org/RestoreSNAP

Spread the Word

Social media can be a powerful platform. You can help spread the word to make sure everyone knows about H.R. 1. Feel free to use the examples below if you want or retweet this tweet from No Kid Hungry. If you want to post on your own, be sure to tag @NoKidHungry so we can help amplify your posts.

• Congress is home for August recess — but kids still need food. Congress passed H.R. 1, which includes the most extreme SNAP cuts in history. More cuts to WIC + school meals could follow. We have to speak up. nokidhungry.org/ProtectSNAP
• SNAP helps 40M Americans — including nearly 16 million kids — afford groceries. But H.R. 1 would slash funding, shift costs to states, and force more families off the program entirely. It’s cruel, shortsighted, and harmful. nokidhungry.org/ProtectSNAP