Washington – The First Focus Campaign for Children, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization, sent a letter today urging members of the U.S. House of Representatives to reject provisions of the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (colloquially, the House “Farm Bill”) that weaken investments in child nutrition.

“Yes, the federal government has budget problems, but hungry kids didn’t cause them, and cutting anti-hunger investments is the wrong way to solve them,” said First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley.

The legislation cuts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) by nearly $21 billion over 10 years. Forty-seven percent of SNAP funding goes to children.

“It’s simple math – nearly half of every SNAP dollar goes to children, so the House Farm Bill would take food away from hungry kids,” said Lesley.

The bill also cuts funding for the SNAP-Education program. This initiative, commonly referred to as “SNAP-Ed,” funds local schools’ efforts to inform kids about healthy food choices and the benefits of healthy eating. SNAP- Ed also helps parents learn how to buy and prepare healthy foods and get the most nutritional value for every SNAP dollar.

“A Congress serious about fighting child hunger and curbing the childhood obesity epidemic would never cut SNAP-Ed,” said Lesley.

The legislation would also weaken the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). FFVP provides funding to help local schools make fresh produce available to children in low-income communities, but the bill would make dried, canned, and frozen produce – including products with added sugar, salt, or other additives – eligible for FFVP funding.

“Politicians and agribusiness lobbyists can’t fool the American people – pizza’s not a vegetable, and canned fruits packed in sugar syrup aren’t fresh,” said Lesley.

The U.S. Senate passed its own version of Farm Bill legislation last week. The Farm Bill debate stalled last year, when the Senate passed a Farm Bill, but the House did not.

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

This week the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee passed an amendment to the FY 2014 Agriculture Appropriations Bill that would allow for fresh white potatoes to be included in the WIC food package.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides federal grants to states for food assistance, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant and postpartum women, as well as infants and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk.

For 40 years WIC has functioned successfully as a federal nutrition assistance program, improving health and birth outcomes for women and children. WIC’s success is based partially on the fact that the program depends on research and science-based information to determine which foods can most improve and supplement the diets of women and children by providing foods that are noticeably absent from their current diets. Since the inception of WIC in 1972, Congress has not interfered with the selection of foods to be included in the food packages provided to women and children. But all of this changed with the white potato amendment.

Previously, white potatoes have not been included in the WIC food package because evidence shows that Americans already consume well over the recommended amount and have no issue consuming and accessing the vegetable or incorporating it, in any form, into their regular diets. Research also shows that white potatoes are the most frequently consumed vegetables among two-and-three-years-olds.

As research reveals, white potatoes are consumed in excess, so it is unfortunate that this amendment was included in the FY 2014 Agriculture Appropriations bill that will go the House floor later this summer. It has been determined that French fries and other forms of fried potatoes account for 18.5 percent of all vegetable consumption and that when combined with other starchy vegetables, the total consumption amount for starchy vegetables is 31.6 percent. The recommended consumption rate is only 26.8 percent.

White potatoes are an unnecessary addition to WIC’s food package and Congress’ intervention to include one single item sets up a bad precedence that may lead to other items being added and legislated into nutrition packages without sound nutrition and science based evidence for its inclusion.

In addition, this amendment was included in a funding bill which does not have jurisdiction even over reauthorizing programs, but is only tasked with to funding programs at an appropriate level for the upcoming fiscal year. The addition of items being legislative into the food package undermines WIC’s scientific thought processes in determining which foods are necessary for needy women and children.

First Focus Campaign for Children does not support Congress overruling what has been scientifically substantiated for years and we vigorously oppose the decision to include white potatoes in the WIC food package. And this is on top of the fact that the bill passed by the House Appropriations Committee underfunds the WIC program. This legislation provides $214 million less for the WIC program in FY 2014 compared to FY 2013. The lower WIC funding brings the bill in line with lower overall funding allocations made under the House-passed FY 2014 budget resolution. The bill specifies that funding to serve the immediate needs of current WIC participants is to be prioritized, but the lower funding level will force USDA to deplete the WIC contingency fund, leaving no reserve funds to accommodate and unexpected increases in food costs or increases in need driven by economic conditions. In addition, there will be no funding for a current WIC program that helps new mothers breastfeed their babies and no funding available for a congressionally-mandated initiative to modernize WIC, by moving the program from paper eligibility cards to more secure electronic cards.

We urge the Unite States Senate Committee on Agriculture Appropriations to provide full funding for the WIC program, and also to reject adding such provisions that undermine the science and integrity of the program when the committee marks up their version of a FY2014 Agriculture Appropriations bill next week. Although Congress may not fully enact single appropriations bills, we urge Congress to not include policy changes that undermine the integrity of the program and to fully fund the WIC program in whatever funding package is completed in order for WIC to continue to successfully operate in FY2014 and meet the needs of low income women and children.

Washington – The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriations voted today to approve legislation funding the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and related agencies for federal fiscal year (FY) 2014. The legislation provides $214 million less for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) for FY 2014. The lower WIC funding brings the bill in line with lower overall funding allocations made under the House-passed FY 2014 budget resolution. That appropriations allocation package would result in cuts totaling nearly $15 billion to appropriations bills that fund critical children’s priorities. The bill specifies that funding to serve the immediate needs of current beneficiaries is to be prioritized, a move that is anticipated to result in the following funding reductions:

• No funding for an initiative that helps new mothers breastfeed their babies;

• No funding for a congressionally-mandated initiative to modernize WIC, by moving from paper eligibility cards to more secure electronic cards;
• USDA will likely need to deplete the WIC contingency fund, leaving no reserves to accommodate increases in food costs or increases in need driven by economic conditions.

In response, First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley released the following statement:

“If budgets are about priorities, appropriations allocations that cut support for children’s initiatives show that the House doesn’t place a high priority on kids. Yes, the federal government has budget problems, but making it harder for babies to get the nutrition they need is the wrong way to solve them.”

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

Washington – The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture voted Wednesday to cut nearly $21 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), an investment that allocates 47 percent of funding to U.S. children. The Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (commonly referred to as the Farm Bill) would also weaken two other child nutrition initiatives: SNAP-Education (“SNAP-Ed”) and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley released the following statement in response to the vote:

“Children are still reeling from the recession, and one-in-five kids lives in a family affected by hunger. But instead of solving this problem, this bill makes it worse. Parents should demand better from Congress as the Farm Bill debate moves forward.”

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit "http://www.ffcampaignforchildren.org>www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

Washington – The First Focus Campaign for Children sent a letter today, urging members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to oppose amendments that would discourage parents from seeking health care or food for their children. The letter cautioned that such amendments would adversely affect children’s immigration status eligibility based on their receipt of health care through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or their receipt of food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“Food and health care are children’s most basic needs, and Congress should be making it easier for children, not creating more red tape,” said Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley.

Several senators have filed amendments to the immigration reform bill (S. 744) that would compromise children’s immigration status eligibility by changing the immigration law’s definition of “public charge.” Specifically:

• Amendment 10 by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) would alter the long-standing “public charge” test, which applicants for immigration benefits must pass, by specifying that children and others seeking a path to citizenship would be denied if they had received health care through Medicaid or food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

• Amendment 25 by Sen. Sessions would make children and other applicants ineligible for registered provisional immigrant (RPI) status if they are “likely” in the future to get health care through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or Medicaid, or to get food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

• Amendment 26 by Sen. Sessions would make children and other applicants ineligible for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status if they are “likely” in the future to get health care through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, or health care affordability tax credits under the Affordable Care Act;

• Amendment 27 by Sen. Sessions would make children and other applicants ineligible for LPR status if they are “likely” in the future to get health care through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, or health care affordability tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, disability assistance through Supplemental Security Income, or to get food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

• Amendment 28 by Sen. Sessions would make children and other applicants ineligible for LPR status if they are “likely” in the future to get state-sponsored, means-tested benefits of any sort, or a range of federal health benefits, including health care through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, or health care affordability tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, or to get food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

• Amendment 5 by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) would increase the bill’s income requirement for children and other applicants for extension of RPI from an average of 100 percent of the federal poverty level applicable to their family to 125 percent of that level;

“CHIP, SNAP, and Medicaid are lifelines for kids, and a vote for these amendments is a vote to cut those lifelines,” said Lesley.

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

Washington – The bipartisan First Focus Campaign for Children sent letters today to congressional agriculture committee members, urging them to protect critical investments in child nutrition. The letters, to the chairs and ranking members of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee and the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee, were sent as each body prepared to consider “Farm Bill” legislation affecting initiatives that fight child hunger and obesity: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), SNAP-Education (“SNAP-Ed”), and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).

“One in five kids will go to bed tonight not knowing if they or someone in their family will have enough to eat tomorrow,” said Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley. “This is a critical time for Congress to protect investments that reduce child hunger and obesity.”

The Senate Agriculture Committee’s draft Farm Bill protects the FFVP and the SNAP- Ed program. However, it cuts SNAP funding by $4.1 billion over 10 years. The House committee’s bill cuts SNAP by more than $21 billion, including an estimated $274 million cut to SNAP-Ed. It also weakens the FFVP, by permitting schools to serve canned, dried, and frozen fruit and vegetable products as though they were “fresh.”

FFVP provides funding to help local schools make fresh produce available to children in low-income communities. SNAP- Ed funds local schools’ efforts to inform students about healthy food choices and the benefits of healthy eating. SNAP- Ed also helps parents learn how to buy and prepare healthy foods and get the most nutritional value for every SNAP dollar. SNAP is the largest federal child nutrition initiative, serving more than 20 million children every year. An estimated 47¢ of every SNAP dollar goes to feed children.

“SNAP, SNAP- Ed, and FFVP work together to tear down the knowledge and cost barriers that stand between children and nutritious diets,” said Lesley. “If Congress is serious about fighting child hunger and curbing the childhood obesity epidemic, it’s essential to protect every one of these initiatives.”

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

First Focus Campaign for Children sent a letter on May 14, 2013 to Chairman Frank Lucas and Ranking Member Collin Peterson in regards to the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee markup of the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 (FARRM) which proposes to cut nutrition programs by $21 billion through cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the SNAP-Education program. The FARRM bill also proposes to change the integrity of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

First Focus Campaign for Children sent a letter on May 14, 2013 to Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and Ranking Member Thad Cochran in regards to the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee markup of the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 which proposes to cut nutrition programs by $4.1 billion through cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Despite these cuts the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 protects the SNAP-Education program, as well as the funding and structure for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

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Duke Storen, Chief of Staff for the Special Nutrition Programs at USDA, moderated the second panel, called, “On the Table: Childhood Nutrition and Food Insecurity.” The panelists included Rita Jaramillo, Chair of the National Latino Children’s Institute; Maritza Kelley, Senior Director of Advocacy and Legislative Affairs for First Focus Campaign for Children; and Lourdes Diaz, Vice President of Diversity Relations at Sodexo USA.

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Washington — The bipartisan children’s advocacy organization First Focus Campaign for Children today thanked Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and more than 50 other representatives for signing a letter challenging congressional leadership and President Barack Obama to find budget solutions that protect critical investments in children.

“Every parent should thank Congressman Davis and his colleagues for their leadership in defense of children. The cynics say it’s all politics in Washington, but this important public commitment by more than 50 members of Congress shows that lawmakers are willing to put kids first,” said Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley.

The letter, originated by Rep. Davis’ office, underscores the value federal investments like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) in mitigating childhood hunger and Medicaid in covering uninsured children. It also describes the consequences of federal budget “sequestration” cuts for children, ranging from cuts that increase the out-of-pocket cost of child care to cuts that make early education less available and deny housing assistance to children who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It urges the President and congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to hold children harmless in upcoming debates over sequestration, the federal budget, and the national debt limit.

The budget passed this week by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Budget Committee would make deep cuts in critical children’s initiatives, like SNAP and Medicaid, as well as a wide range of “non-defense domestic discretionary” budget initiatives serving children, including education, housing, and child abuse and neglect prevention and response. By contrast, the budget passed by the Senate Budget Committee this week would protect critical children’s initiatives.

“The threats are real and urgent, but Congressman Davis and his colleagues are right. We can’t build a stronger tomorrow for children by denying them the things they need to succeed today,” said Lesley.

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children's advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are a priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.