WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, Rep. Marcia L. Fudge joined all 55 members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue urging him to rescind the Department’s proposed rule to roll back Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.  In the letter, the CBC wrote, “the proposed rule will push struggling families and children further into poverty and we strongly urge USDA to rescind it immediately.”

Pointing to the impact the proposed rule will have on SNAP recipients, the CBC added, “Shockingly absent from the proposed rule’s Regulatory Impact Analysis is USDA’s own estimation that over 500,00 school-aged children would lose direct access to free school meals should the rule go into effect… As a result, restricting the use of [Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility] will result in a significant increase in classroom hunger.”

The CBC went on to say, “USDA’s proposed rule is cruel and reflects the failure of the Department to thoroughly consider or acknowledge the range of negative consequences such a change will have on low-income families and children.”

The CBC urges “USDA to immediately rescind this proposed rule and finally make good on its promise to the American people to ‘Do Right and Feed Everyone.’”

The text of the letter can be found here.

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