Washington, DC – Concerned about impoverished, low income and unemployed Americans, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), led by co-chairs Congresswomen Barbara Lee (CA-9) and Lynn Woolsey (CA-6), have rallied over 150 Members of Congress to support increased food stamp benefits as an antipoverty measure in the Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act (H.R.2419). CPC Anti-Poverty Task Force Members James McGovern (MA-3), Hilda Solis (CA-32), and Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), along with Woolsey and Lee, led the effort to garner support for this provision, as Congress sets to pass an economic stimulus package in light of the looming recession.

In the letter to the Agriculture Committee, the Members wrote “New investments in the nutrition title are long overdue. The average food stamp benefit is a mere $1 a person a meal. The $10 minimum benefit has been stuck at the same level for 30 years. The $2000 limit on assets for most food stamp households has not changed in two decades. And the shortfall in TEFAP commodities purchases is leaving many food bank shelves empty. It is vital that the conference agreement secure permanent funding at no less than the House-passed levels for the food stamp and TEFAP programs, and we strongly urge you to include these improvements in the conference report.”

The co-chairs and leaders of the CPC Anti-Poverty Task Force issued the following statements:

“The nutrition title is an important provision in the farm bill to help Americans who rely on food stamps and should receive permanent funding at the highest level,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and co-founder of the Out Of Poverty Caucus. “Congress has to take serious action to bridge the gap between the haves and have nots and the first step is to make eliminating poverty in America a national priority.”

“Hunger and poverty in America have increased significantly in recent years, and there is no excuse for that.  With one in five children in America going to bed hungry every night this is the least that we can do,” underscored Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“Unfortunately, poverty and hunger are increasing in America.  We must do all we can to ensure that the Food Stamp program is sufficiently funded, and that the progress we made in the House version of the Farm Bill is sustained,” said U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (MA-3), a Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“The Farm Bill provides a historic opportunity to reverse the trends of hunger and food insecurity low and middle income communities are facing,” said Congresswoman Hilda Solis (CA-32), a Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “With millions of working families and children struggling with hunger and facing even greater challenges in this economic downturn, it is important that we maintain the House passed improvements to the food stamp and the Emergency Food Assistance Programs. To do otherwise is a missed opportunity."