To whom it may concern:

This comment is being submitted on behalf of Social Action Linking Together, SALT, a faith-based social justice advocacy organization supported by 1300 advocates for justice located in northern Virginia.

SALT recently had an opportunity to review the surprise release of information—i.e., data--that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should have disclosed earlier. The information makes clear the deep harm of USDA’s proposed rule to limit access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): eliminating food assistance for 3.1 million people and jeopardizing free school meals for nearly 1 million children.

Children who live in households that receive SNAP benefits are directly certified to receive free school breakfast and lunch. While the initial estimate showed that the rule could jeopardize more than 500,000 children’s access to free school meals, the new USDA analysis states that as many as 982,000 children could be impacted, with 497,000 children moving from free to reduced-price meals, and 40,000 completely losing eligibility for both free and reduced-price school meals.

Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) noted in a statement, “Even for those who remain eligible, forcing low-income families to navigate the burdensome paperwork will inevitably lead to eligible children losing access to a critical source of daily nutrition.” This is not morally acceptable. No one in America should be suffering from hunger. Causing children to lose access to needed daily nutrition is morally reprehensible.

If USDA rule is enacted, children will be hungry at home and school. Since childhood hunger is linked to academic struggles, difficulties focusing and concentrating, mental health disorders, and increased behavioral referrals, many schools would struggle to meet the educational, health, and mental health needs of the students who lose SNAP benefits and as a result, access to free school meals.

No action should be taken that will in any way put children at risk of losing SNAP benefits.