1Memorializing the Congress of the United States to retain the
2boost in benefits as part of the American Recovery and
3Reinvestment Act of 2009.

4WHEREAS, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
5boosted the benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
6Program (SNAP); and

7WHEREAS, The increased benefit is scheduled to end on
8November 1, 2013; and

9WHEREAS, The reduction nationally is expected to be $5
10billion dollars in fiscal year 2014; and

11WHEREAS, For a household of three, the proposed reduction
12will amount to a decrease of $29 per month; and

13WHEREAS, Without keeping the funding stable, benefits will
14average less than $1.40 per person per meal in 2014; and

15WHEREAS, SNAP has never experienced a reduction in benefit
16levels that affected all participants; and

17WHEREAS, The reduction will likely cause great hardship for

1SNAP participants, which is expected to include 22 million
2children nationally in 2014; and

3WHEREAS, Ten million of the children participating in SNAP
4nationally live in "deep poverty"; and

5WHEREAS, Nine million SNAP participants are elderly or have a
6serious disability; and

7WHEREAS, The cuts are equivalent to taking away 21 meals per
8month for a family of four; and

9WHEREAS, The benefit boost in 2009 reduced the number of
10households where one or more individuals had to skip meals or
11otherwise eat less by 500,000 because they lacked money; and

12WHEREAS, Beginning November 2013 through November 2014, the
13Commonwealth will experience a reduction of $183 million in
14program support; and

15WHEREAS, One million seven hundred seventy nine thousand
16SNAP participants of this Commonwealth will be affected, which
17is 14% of our population; and

18WHEREAS, SNAP is our nation's first line of defense against
19hunger and a powerful tool in keeping families out of deep
20poverty; and

21WHEREAS, Many residents of this Commonwealth are still
22suffering greatly from the economic downturn; therefore be it

23RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives memorialize the
24Congress of the United States to preserve current SNAP funding
25levels because failure to do so will significantly increase the
26number of poor households that have difficulty affording
27adequate food; and be it further

28RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
29need to preserve current SNAP funding levels because our economy
30is only beginning to regain its vitality and unemployment

1remains at a troubling high; and be it further

2RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
3the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each
4member of Congress from Pennsylvania.