Representative Keith Rothfus

May 20, 2018

Representative Keith Rothfus

6000 Babcock Blvd., Suite 104

Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Dear Representative Rothfus,

I am a member of St. James Catholic Parish in Wilkinsburg, PA and I am writing to you because of my grave concern about the issue of food security both domestically and on the international level.

I would like to begin by thanking you for your past support for the Global Food Security Act and ask you to become a co-sponsor of the renewal of the Global Food Security Act (HR 5129), that needs to be renewed this year and ask you to reach out to your colleagues to gain their support for a successful passage to this critical legislation.

As you consider 2018 spending decisions, I ask that you protect funding for critical anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs. I am deeply opposed to a spending bill that, if passed, would increase hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world.

With 1 in 8 U.S. families struggling to put food on the table, and over 815 million people around the world living in hunger, now is not the time to cut funding for programs like WIC, global nutrition, and humanitarian assistance.

Cutting funding to these programs will increase hunger and hardship for millions of people in the United States and abroad. As Congress works on the fiscal year 2019 spending bills, I urge you to reject cuts to lifesaving programs and support a bipartisan budget agreement that protects vital anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs such as WIC and lifesaving foreign aid.

Finally, I ask you to work with your Colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass legislation for the reauthorization of the Farm Bill that

1)strengthens the country’s food safety net, mainly the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP) and prevents any weakening of these programs, such as those being proposed by the House Agriculture Committee

2)improves policies that support international food assistance and development programs.

Our St. James Food Pantry is currently assisting 114 households (192 people) in the disadvantaged community of Wilkinsburg. 48 of them are children and 58 of them are over 60, 81 are disabled, and 10 are veterans; 78 of the households benefit from SNAP. 30 of the seniors we serve also benefit from the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. Much of the food we distribute comes from the Gr. Pittsburgh Community Food Bank that helps to distribute the USDA commodities. These programs that are regulated and funded through the Farm Bill are essential to those we serve and know to be in need.

I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible about these urgent matters.

Sincerely,

Name:

Address: