I’ve lived in Santa Monica since mid-2021, but I’ve worked with a public agency in the past, so I’m very familiar with the issue of food insecurity in WLA/Santa Monica.
While families in our area are struggling with the rising costs of food and trying to provide healthy meals for their children to eat, extremist Republicans in Washington, D.C. are proposing massive cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps)—the key program helping millions put food on the table.
Republicans have introduced legislation that, for the first time ever, would subject parents or grandparents with children 7 years or older to a harsh time limit of 3 months of SNAP if they cannot meet burdensome work requirements (right now, adults with any minor child are exempt). To put it clearly–these proposals would take food away from hungry children! If this legislation were to pass 4 million children would see a massive reduction in their food assistance.
SNAP is one of the strongest tools our nation has to combat hunger. Our elected leaders should be strengthening SNAP benefits and protecting them against attacks, not doing the opposite. Our families are counting on our members of Congress to stand up against these attacks and protect SNAP!
Hal Bogotch, Santa Monica