September 13, 2013
Dear Representative:
As the
Director for Public Witness at the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I write to
urge you to vote against the House proposal to cut SNAP (formerly Food Stamps)
by $40 billion.
As you must
know, SNAP is one of this country’s most important anti-hunger programs. The cuts in this bill could leave up to six
million people without vital food assistance. In a still weak economy, SNAP has
helped millions of struggling families put food on the table. This cut is so extreme that churches and
charity would have to nearly double the amount of food assistance they provide
every year for the next ten years to make up the difference. Such
a severe cut to one of our most effective tools against hunger is unacceptable
and cruel.
We believe
that alleviating hunger and eliminating its causes is at the very heart of the
church's life. When the world tolerates
the vicious suffering of hungry people, the church is called to speak out and
share all that we have. But as I say, we cannot meet this great need alone. The most recent General Assembly of the PC(USA)
not only affirmed that government is good and ordained by God for the
maintenance of the common good, but also called for “a stronger social safety
net for poor and low-income families” including protection of Food Stamps and
other programs that serve the most vulnerable.
Far too many
Americans rely on SNAP today, but high participation is not from a surge of
laziness, but rather to high unemployment and a sluggish economic recovery. Over
30 percent of SNAP households are working households. The real problem is the
economy and the fact that too many jobs do not pay enough for parents to put
food on the table and provide for their children. Today, 11.5 million people
remain unemployed, and 4.2 million people have been looking for work for over
26 weeks. Moreover, since the recession ended, nearly three out of five jobs
created have been low-wage jobs, paying less than $14 an hour. Through 2020, 28
percent of all workers are expected to be in jobs that leave them below the
poverty line even when working full time. Our government should not punish
people who are doing all they can to find a job and earn a living in this weak
economy.
Cutting vital
nutrition assistance from children, seniors, low-wage workers, and persons with
disabilities will not address larger economic trends or create jobs with
adequate wages. Instead, this type of bill will punish those people struggling
to make ends meet.
We believe
that “reconciliation...through Jesus Christ makes it plain that enslaving
poverty in a world of abundance is an intolerable violation of God’s good
creation.” This bill is one such intolerable
violation. I urge you to vote no on the
bill.
Sincerely,
The Reverend
J. Herbert Nelson, II
Director for
Public Witness
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
