Low-Income Food Program Receives Good News

Low-Income Food Program Receives Good News

Washington DC, VT-Congressman Bernie Sanders today applauded the Agriculture Appropriation Subcommittee's decision to restore funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), which provides more than 4000 Vermont seniors with nutritious, high-quality groceries once a month. In his recently proposed budget, President Bush sought to eliminate all funding for this program. In response, Congressman Sanders drafted a letter signed by a bipartisan coalition of 120 Congressional Members urging the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding for the CSFP, to restore the program.

Sanders said, "I am delighted that the Subcommittee heeded our call to restore and expand funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. This is an important first step toward defeating President Bush's attempt to take this vital program away from the more than 4000 seniors in Vermont who depend on it. I will continue to work to make sure that this funding stays in tact as the bill makes its way through the appropriations process."

The CSFP is funded through the Agriculture Appropriations bill. The current bill calls for the program to be funded at $118.3 million for 2007. The bill includes $11 million more than last year's funding and $118.3 million more than President Bush's request for zero funding. The bill is expected to come before the full Appropriations Committee next week and before the full House the following week.

More than 400,000 people nationwide and 4000 Vermonters are currently served by CSFP. Last year, The Vermont Food Bank distributed 1.8 million pounds of CSFP food to 151 sites across Vermont. To be eligible, seniors must have income at or below 130% of the federal poverty line (currently about $12,400 per year for a single person and $16,700 for a couple.) CSFP also provides food packages to low-income pregnant and post-partum women, infants, and children up to age six that are at or below approximately 185% of the poverty line.

Sanders said, "This is a vital step in the battle to ensure that no one in Vermont or the rest of the nation is forced to go hungry. It is absolutely critical that this program is able to serve Vermonters and I will continue to do everything I can to protect this program in the future."

http://bernie.house.gov/documents/document.asp?issueNum=4881