Advocating for Hungry Alaskans in the 2007 Farm Bill Shawn Powers, Advocacy Program Manager, Food Bank of Alaska AFC Annual Member Meeting Juneau, February 12, 2007

Sausage-making 101 "To retain respect for sausages and laws, one must not watch them in the making." --Otto von Bismarck ( )

8 th -Grade Civics Review The U.S. Constitution provides for three branches of government: The legislative branch makes laws and holds the “power of the purse.” The executive (the President) signs or vetoes laws passed by Congress and carries them out. The judicial branch interprets how the laws apply to particular situations and rules on the constitutionality of the other branches’ actions.

Sausage Making: An Extremely Simplified Overview House / Senate Committee Full House / Senate President When it is traveling through Congress, a piece of legislation is called a “bill.” If passed by Congress and signed by the President, it becomes a law. If the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill, a conference committee with members from both houses irons out the differences. Both houses must then pass the bill again.

Types of Laws that Affect Nutrition Programs Authorizing legislation: establishes programs, instructs the executive branch (USDA) on how to carry them out, locks in funding levels for some programs. Budget resolution: statement of Congress’ spending targets for 1 year. Not binding, but some spending may be capped at this stage. Appropriations bills: determine year-to-year funding levels for many nutrition programs.

What is the Farm Bill? The Farm Bill is a piece of authorizing legislation. It sets the broad structure of programs but leaves many funding decisions to the annual budget / appropriations process. It includes: Agricultural support programs Nutrition programs Conservation programs

What is the Farm Bill? The Nutrition Title of the Farm Bill includes: Food Stamp Program The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) The Farm Bill generally comes along every 5 years. The last Farm Bill was in 2002.

The Farm Bill and the Committee System The Farm Bill is initially the responsibility of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. Currently, Alaska’s two Senators and one Representative do not serve on the Agriculture Committees.

The Farm Bill and the Committee System However, all members of Congress provide input to the Farm Bill throughout the process. At the Committee stage, Senators and Representatives advocate for their constituents’ interests, primarily through the chairman and the ranking member. It is important to get every member of Congress talking about the Nutrition Title of the Farm Bill!

Advocacy Priorities: Background The 1996 Welfare Reform legislation (PRWORA) made detrimental changes to the Food Stamp Program: disqualified most legal immigrants from receiving food stamps barred persons convicted of a drug felony (unless the state opts out) imposed time limits on able-bodied adults without dependent children

Advocacy Priorities: Background The 2002 Farm Bill made some improvements: Restored eligibility for some legal immigrants Streamlined reporting More funding for TEFAP High-performance bonuses for states

Advocacy Priorities: Ongoing Issues Benefit adequacy: 85% of food stamps used up within the first two weeks Minimum benefit: $10 per month Asset limits: $2,000 / $3,000 Outreach and education Nutrition, obesity, and client choice The name of the program

Advocacy Priorities: A Wish List Some of the proposals being discussed by advocates around the country: Restoring pre-1996 eligibility rules for immigrants, felons, childless adults Raising the minimum benefit to $25 Changing the basis of benefits (right now it is the Thrifty Food Plan) to reflect the cost of a healthy diet

Advocacy Priorities: A Wish List Reforming asset rules: raising asset limits, counting fewer types of assets, or eliminating the asset test altogether More money for TEFAP and CSFP Making CSFP mandatory and a seniors-only program Preserving the entitlement structure of food stamps / opposing block grants

Advocacy Priorities: Alaska-specific proposals? There may be an Alaska/Hawaii title in the 2007 Farm Bill. Alaska has higher income guidelines and higher benefits for food stamps. We will join the national benefit adequacy fight, but nothing Alaska-specific here.

Advocacy Priorities: Alaska-specific proposals? Alaska does not get any accommodations in TEFAP or CSFP. FBA is requesting: Additional $100,000 per annum for TEFAP transportation. (Current funds only cover 50% of FBA’s storage and shipping costs.) $85,000 per annum to expand CSFP to rural Alaska. Add Alaska to the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).

The Bush Administration Proposal The good: Exclude retirement, college savings from asset test Exclude combat pay from income test Change FSP name to “Food and Nutrition Program” Eliminate child care deduction cap More $ for fresh fruits and vegetables

The Bush Administration Proposal The bad and the ugly: No mention of CSFP (FY07 and FY08 budgets call for elimination) Cuts 300,000 families receiving non- cash TANF benefits from food stamps Food banks no longer have priority for TEFAP commodities—States will be required to do a competitive bidding process

The Bush Administration Proposal The bad and the ugly: No progress on benefit adequacy No progress on immigrant eligibility, former felons or able-bodied adults without dependents Minimum benefit stays at $10

How to Get Involved? The Farm Bill process is already in motion. Some in Congress are predicting a finished bill by August… but it could come sooner or later. Contact the members of Alaska’s delegation: Senator Stevens, Senator Murkowski, Congressman Young. Get your message out early! , write, call, fax, or visit.

Talking Points Accentuate the positive: food stamps are a time-tested program that works. Think of the broad benefits: better nutrition = a healthier population, higher student achievement, and a more productive workforce. The federal dollars give an economic boost to Alaskan businesses and communities.

A Closing Thought Democracy is not the rule of the people—it is the rule of the people who show up. Washington is chock-full of lobbyists fighting for money in this year’s Farm Bill for agribusiness, farmers, and other interests. Who will stand up for our hungry neighbors?

Thank You! Questions or comments?