December 4, 2013
^nrtlanì» (Observer
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N IO N
Preventable Hunger in Our Land of Plenty
The battle for
nutrition
assistance
M arian W right E delman
The nearly 49
million Am eri­
cans— including
nearly 16 million
children— living
in food insecure
households will
be struggling to afford the food
they need this holiday season.
These families w on’t be choos­
ing between apple or pumpkin
pie but will face choices about
paying for groceries or rent, heat,
electricity, medicine or clothing
for their children as they do each
month— choices no family should
have to make in our nation with
the largest Gross Domestic Prod­
uct in the world.
Congress will be choosing how
many of these desperate fami­
lies and children in need to cut
from life-giving and life-sustain­
ing federal nutrition programs.
In the middle of this season of
gratitude for plenty, Congress
has put the Supplemental Nutri­
tion Assistance Program (SNAP,
by
often called food stamps) on the
chopping block while leaving
largely intact subsidies for rich
farmers and even some non­
farm ers.
With the decision deadline just
weeks away Congress is work­
ing to bridge the gap be­
tween two dramatically dif­
ferent Farm Bill proposals
which both include unjust
funding cuts for SNAP.
The Senate bill cuts $4 bil-
three years that already began on
Nov. 1 and affected every single
SNAP recipient. This recent cut
was equivalent to a week’s worth
of meals for a nine-year-old.
SNAP benefits now average a
mere $1.40 per person per meal.
Imagine preparing your holiday
meal on that budget.
SNAP lifted 2.2 million chil­
dren out of poverty in 2012 and
provided benefits to over 46 mil­
lion Americans on average ev-
w hen th re e -q u a rte rs o f our
nation’s teachers report students
who routinely show up to school
hungry and half report hunger to
be a serious problem in their
classrooms, what kind of politi­
cal leaders could for one minute
consider cutting children’s food
assistance while protecting sub­
sidies for rich farmers?
Hunger and malnutrition have
devastating consequences for
children and have been linked to
...........
What kind o f political leaders could for one
minute consider cutting children’s food assistance
while protecting subsidies for rich farmers?
lion from SNAP over 10 years
while the House bill slashes more
than $40 billion— denying food
to as many as six million people,
including children, seniors, and
veterans. The House proposal
would also drop 210,000 chil­
dren from school meals and cost
our economy 55,000 jobs in the
first year alone.
Any agreed upon Farm Bill
cuts to the already meager SNAP
food benefits will come on top of
the $11 billion cut over the next
ery month, including more than
22 million, or more than one in
four, children. SNAP was a life
saver for millions of families in
need during the recent recession
and still sluggish recovery. Nearly
three-quarters of SNAP house­
holds are families with children.
Any additional cuts will take des­
perately needed food away from
many vulnerable children and
adults.
At a time when child poverty
remains at a record high, and
needy children who received
food assistance before age five
were in better health as adults.
Specifically, the girls studied
were more likely to complete
m ore sch o o lin g , earn m ore
money, and not rely on safety
net programs as adults.
Adults who care and have
common and economic sense
would strengthen and not cut
this critical lifeline for children.
During the holidays, those of us
blessed with enough or too much
food can show our gratitude for
living in a wealthy country where
we can take action and urge our
political leaders to put hungry
children before rich farmers. And
as millions of us sit down to a
holiday dinner let us offer a
simple Thanksgiving grace:
God, we thank You for this
food; for the hands that planted it;
for the hands that tended it; for the
hands that harvested it; for the
hands that prepared it; for the
hands that provided it; and for the
hands that served it. And we pray
for those without enough food in
Your world and in our land of
plenty.
low birth weight and birth de­
fects, obesity, mental and physi­
cal health problems, and poorer
educational outcomes. SNAP
cushions these threats and yields
a strong return on investment.
Children who benefit from
SNAP are less likely to be in
poor health, experience fewer
hospitalizations, and are less
likely to have developmental and
growth delays than those with
Marian Wright Edelman is
similar incomes denied the pro­ president o f the Children's De­
gram. A recent study found that fense Fund.
Boss Should Not Dictate Health Care Choices
People are
trying to take
this right away
V alerie J arrett
Ensuring the full
freedom of women as
health care consum ­
ers to access essen­
tia l
p re v e n ta tiv e
health services is a
vital component of the Afford­
able Care Act (ACA). And no­
where are health decisions more
personal or essential to keep in
their hands, than those regarding
by
■
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11 h C r r 1 F»P
"""
reproductive health.
The ACA was designed to
ensure that health care deci­
sio n s are m ade b etw e en a
woman and her doctor, and not
by her boss, or W ashington poli­
ticians.
Today, there are people
trying to take this right away
from women, by letting pri­
vate, for-profit corporations
and employers make medi­
cal decisions for their em ­
ployees, based on their personal
beliefs.
A group of for-profit com pa­
nies are currently suing to gain
the right to deny employees ac­
“ “
™
cess to coverage for birth con­
trol and co ntraceptive care,
which are used by the over­
whelming majority of American
women in their lifetimes.
Among the first cases to reach
the Supreme Court is one filed
by Hobby Lobby, an arts and
crafts chain whose owners want
to be able to take the option for
birth control benefits away from
their employees.
We are confident the Supreme
Court will agree that health deci­
sions in this country should re­
main with individuals, in consul­
tation with their doctors, fami­
lies, faiths, and whomever else
■■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
M
H
M B
M B
B M
BBi M B
B M
Valerie Jarrett is a senior
advisor to the President and
Chair o f the White House
Council on Women and Girls.
THE LAW OFFICES OF
Patrick John Sweeney, PC.
Patrick John Sweeney
Attorney at Law
1549 SE Ladd
Portland, Oregon
I Fil‘ °Ut & Send To: *** ?«*!»«* «Wrurr
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w o m a n 's b o ss d ic ta te h er
health care choices would con­
stitute a m ajor step backw ard
for w om en's health, and self-
determination.
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they personally trust.
No corporate entity should
be in position to lim it wom en's
legal access to care, or to seize
a controlling interest over the
health care choices o f women.
T o take that type o f pow er
aw ay from individuals, and to
let the personal beliefs of a
I
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