First Focus on Children and fellow advocates today urged leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee to extend to all states the two-year delay in cost-shifts for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that have been given to nine states and the District of Columbia under H.R. 1.
“Unfortunately, the cuts enacted in last year’s budget bill (HR 1) are causing significant numbers of children to lose SNAP with more children expected to lose access absent Congressional action,” the advocates wrote. “We therefore urge you and your Committee members to ensure that any farm legislation that moves this year ensures that SNAP continues to support America’s children by extending the existing two-year delay in the cost shift included in P.L.119-21 to all states to help them protect participation and reduce their SNAP error rate. We also request that you delay the increased administrative match for all states to prevent staffing shortages that will make it harder to implement the SNAP changes and provide assistance to families.”
First Focus on Children was joined on the letter by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Children’s Defense Fund, MomsRising, Save the Children, and Zero to Three.