LA City Council calls on Congress to boost SNAP, crucial Federal food program previously known as food stamps

WEST SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, CA – On May 13, the City Council unanimously passed a resolution authored by Councilmember Bob Blumenfield and seconded by Councilmember Monica Rodriguez to call upon Congress to make critical improvements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously known as food stamps, for struggling families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the several Federal aid programs rolled out to provide aid to businesses and families, Congress has taken no action to expand SNAP for those who are food insecure. 

“In LA and across the Country, food insecurity is one of the largest issues impacting families during the pandemic,” Blumenfield said. “Given rising unemployment rates and food bank data, there could be as many as 60 million people who don’t know when or where their next meal is coming from. It’s time for Congress to boost SNAP benefits, to call on the USDA to expand SNAP-eligible delivery options, and to urge the Federal government to increase access to SNAP for  particularly vulnerable groups.”

SNAP has proven to be one of the most effective Federal programs to mitigate hardships for low-income families. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), SNAP expenditures not only benefit food insecure families—these expenditures are also one of the most efficient methods to support an economy during a recession. With the passage of Blumenfield’s resolution, the City of Los Angeles specifically calls for Congress to boost the maximum benefit by 15%, double the minimum benefit to $30 a month, and allow EBT use on grocery delivery platforms benefitting local businesses. Every SNAP dollar spent in the local  economy contributes to the wages grocery workers and food producers depend upon to maintain operations.

"Councilmember Blumenfield and the Los Angeles City Council continue to show strong leadership in the face of the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the heartbreaking increases in food insecurity,” said Abby J. Leibman, President and CEO of  MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. “With the passage of Councilmember Blumenfield’s resolution today, Los Angeles raises its powerful voice to insist on a robust response by our Federal government to ease the pain of hunger for the millions of Americans who were struggling before the pandemic, and the millions more who now face barriers to accessing the food they need to feed themselves and their families with dignity."

Blumenfield has been working on the local level to support food-insecure families and struggling Angelenos. Recently he allocated over $100,000 from his discretionary funds to start an emergency nonprofit grant program to help 20 local nonprofits such as the West Valley food pantry and West Valley YMCA, but expanded support to programs like SNAP is essential to help struggling families get by.

“At the City level, we are doing everything we possibly can to help food insecure Angelenos—but our efforts pale in  comparison to what Congress can accomplish  by boosting SNAP,” Blumenfield said.

Councilmember Blumenfield is committed to helping families in need during the pandemic and he recently published a donation solicitation letter to encourage folks to donate to the 20 local nonprofit grant recipients from his emergency program.

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