FEDERAL PRIORITIES

With nearly three million New Yorkers experiencing hunger and food insecurity, Feeding New York State recognizes that public policy must address both the immediate needs of struggling families as well as root causes that contribute to hunger.

Healthy food is a basic human right.

Our association calls on federal policymakers to:

STRENGTHEN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) PROGRAM

  • Increase baseline SNAP benefits, expand SNAP benefits to U.S. territories, and eliminate arbitrary eligibility limits.
  • Lift existing barriers to participation in SNAP for immigrants, seniors, college students, and individuals with prior convictions.
  • Eliminate asset limits for participation in SNAP.

ENACT POLICIES THAT SUPPORT THE WELLBEING OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

  • Guarantee school breakfast, lunch, after school and summer meals for all children nationwide.
  • Provide an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card for all children in low-income households during summer, school breaks, unanticipated emergencies, and school closures of five or more days.
  • Expand and strengthen the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
  • Restore the expanded Child Tax Credit – which had cut the child poverty rate by nearly 40% – and expand the Earned Income Tax Credit.
  • Reduce the cost of child care and move towards a universal child care system.

FULLY SUPPORT THE NATION’S CHARITABLE FOOD SYSTEM

  • Increase federal investments in The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in response to the unprecedented demand for hunger relief.
  • Fully fund the shelf-stable and cold storage infrastructure, transportation, and distribution capacity of food banks through TEFAP’s Administrative Grants account.

BUILD AN ECONOMY THAT EMPOWERS AND UPLIFTS LOW-INCOME AMERICANS

  • Raise the federal minimum wage to a living wage of $15 per hour, tie future increases to the rate of inflation, and phase out subminimum wages for tipped workers, workers with a disability, and teenagers.
  • Implement policies that equitably reduce the cost of healthcare, housing, education, transportation, and food.
  • Enable all eligible households to obtain rental assistance, repeal the Faircloth
  • Amendment of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998, and invest in our public housing infrastructure.
  • Reduce preventable evictions and mitigate eviction-related consequences.
  • Build a more resilient and sustainable supply chain that can withstand shocks resulting from pandemics, climate disruption, and war overseas.
  • Evaluate whether key metrics such as the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) are accurately measuring the poverty rate in 2022.