Why Support Bread for the World Advocacy
If you're wondering why it makes sense to lobby in D.C. rather than feed people directly, it's important to remember that all private charities (such as food banks) together provide the equivalent of just 6 percent of the food that our federal government distributes through programs that help poor people get good nutrition. And that's why I'm such a fan of advocacy — because government policies dominate the fight against hunger, and advocacy is lobbying in Congress against hunger.
Many good and effective organizations are essentially hired by the government to do the work on the ground. (Bread says, "Advocacy opens a flood gate upstream — government funding — so hard working charities and NGOs downstream can do the work.") The gun industry has lobbyists, the tobacco industry has lobbyists, pharmaceutical companies have lobbyists…and hungry people need lobbyists, too. That's where we come in!
I see Bread not as a charity, but as a service. The following messages (from Bread president Eugene Cho) show why we should be thankful that pros are working so expertly in Congress to cobble together bipartisan support for nutritional and food aid programs.
Thanks so much for supporting Bread for the World this Christmas!
Rick
Dear Rick and travelers supporting Bread,
I understand that some wonder why you would "fight hunger" by supporting a lobby organization (Bread for the World) rather than simply helping fund your local food bank (for example). Advocacy is lobbying in Congress for people experiencing hunger. That's what we do — and your generous support makes it possible.
This is important and exciting work. Just today, we heard that the new COVID bill will likely include SNAP benefits, but maybe not international assistance. One of my staffers updated me with this message: "Eugene. I spoke with the Speaker's office an hour ago, and they confirmed that they are trying to include international assistance in the underlying bill that will move next week. However, its inclusion is not final, and depends on whether both sides of the aisle can agree upon it. Please share with anyone advocating on international assistance!" So, our organizers are all hands on deck this week, trying to reach out to our advocates and respective Congressional offices.
Here are a couple of examples of recent wins in our fight against hunger:
Expanded and Extended Availability of School Meals Replacement: In September, Congress included an extension of Pandemic-Electronic Benefits Transfer to September 30, 2021, within a continuing resolution. Bread advocates (or lobbyists) played a leadership role in a critical moment to ensure this extension and its expansion. P-EBT provides money for groceries to families whose kids qualify for free or reduced-price meals if their child's school closes. In the Spring, when everyone was receiving school instruction virtually, this work helped an estimated 30 million children in the US.
Ensured Hunger was Addressed in CARES Act: Bread joined coalition efforts to urge Congress to pass sweeping pandemic response legislation in March — the CARES Act —that gave immediate cash assistance to low- and middle-income households and expanded unemployment insurance. Bread advocates spoke up effectively for people experiencing hunger. By boosting child nutrition and work support measures, poverty actually went down in the early and mid-phases of the pandemic. Internationally, the bill provided funding for global disease detection and prevention and growing humanitarian needs.
Worked to Protect and Increase Funding for Food Stamps: Bread advocates were successful in their advocacy for key priorities in the House of Representatives' HEROES ACT, which included a 15 percent increase in SNAP benefits and $10 billion in emergency supplemental resources to ensure the US continues to lead global response. While this legislation did not move forward in the Senate, Bread worked with partners to get a Senate leadership letter signed by 16 Republicans and 16 Democrats urging international response funding.
Eugene
And here's a wonky email from Eugene, which makes me thankful that there are caring experts who are paying attention, understand all this, and know how to get things done in Congress for hungry people:
From: Eugene Cho
Sent: Monday, December 7, 2020 3:37 PM
To: Rick Steves
Subject: Good news! Fw: House passage of Global Nutrition Resolution
Rick,
I wanted to share some good news with you from earlier today in Congress. Your prayers and generosity helped make this possible!
In early 2019, Bread for the World drafted a congressional resolution recognizing the importance of sustained United States leadership to accelerate global progress against maternal and child malnutrition and supporting the United States Agency for International Development's commitment to global nutrition.
Thanks to the diligent advocacy of our team and our supporters, Bread helped build champions for global nutrition on Capitol Hill, including having the support of Reps. Roger Marshall (R-KS-01) and Jim McGovern (D-MA-2), as well as Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Chris Coons (D-DE) to introduce these resolutions. Through grassroots efforts on the Offering of Letters and DC-based advocacy, Bread has helped secure 154 cosponsors in the House and 41 cosponsors in the Senate. This is one of the most bipartisan pieces of legislation this Congress and Bread helped ensure unanimous approval out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as from the House Agriculture and Foreign Affairs committee. S.Res. 260 passed out of the Senate before the COVID-19 pandemic and now, thanks to the work of Bread for the World, H.Res. 189 looks poised to pass the House.
H.Res.189 and S.Res. 260 will strengthen our government's efforts to accelerate progress against maternal and child malnutrition in developing countries by:
- Recognizing the importance of the US leadership to improve maternal and child nutrition
- Supporting progress on nutrition and improved nutrition outcomes for mothers and children with an emphasis on the 1,000 days between pregnancy and her child's second birthday
- Calling for transformative efforts to accelerate progress to end maternal and child malnutrition, including through the implementation of the USAID Multi-sectoral Nutrition Strategy; and to use improved and clear methods to track nutrition funding and outcomes across the sectors.
Bread for the World's efforts on this legislation have gotten congressional members on the record supporting global nutrition, built education among congressional staff, and helped to build strong bipartisan champions for maternal and child nutrition. Our work also helps set up support for new nutrition authorizing legislation in the new Congress, as well as additional funding for these key programs.
The majority of the 800 plus lobby visits and 93,000 calls and letters conducted by activists had some focus on this resolution, including the key international ask with an increase in appropriations (when COVID hit, we broadened the international ask to include a COVID response).
There's much more work to be done, but this resolution helps pave the way for more significant impact (and funding) in the future.
Eugene
Rev. Eugene Cho
Bread for the World
425 3rd Street SW, Suite 1200