Seek hunger relief, minimum wage increase

Hunger persists in America despite a strong economy. Since the so-called welfare reform of 1996, The Urban Institute reports that 33 percent of former welfare recipients must skip or cut meals due to lack of food. Six million more poor people are without food stamps than in 1995. During 1998, 6.1 million adults and 3.3 million children lived in households that experienced hunger. Children who go hungry do poorly in school, and face increased health risks. Hunger rates are highest in households with children headed by single women and minorities.

The bipartisan Hunger Relief Act (S. 1805/H.R. 3192) is a lobbying priority of USCC, Bread for the World, and a host of coalition partners. Specifically, it would:

• Allow low-income people to own a reliable car and still receive food stamp benefits. Currently, most families who own a car worth more than $4,650 are ineligible for food stamps.
• Allow low-income people who spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing to receive fuller food stamp benefits. Right now a family's shelter expenses are "capped" when calculating food stamp benefits, regardless of actual expenditures. Nearly 730,000 families would be eligible for increased food stamp benefits under the Hunger Relief Act.
• Allow low-income legal immigrants to receive food stamp benefits. Most low-income legal immigrants are now excluded, even though many work and pay taxes.
• Increase by 10 percent the maximum funding for the nation's food banks and emergency food providers, to $120 million.

Minimum Wage

The U.S. Conference of Mayors' December 1999 report on hunger found that two-thirds of the adults requesting emergency food assistance in 1999 were employed, but not earning enough to feed their families.

Congress should help low-income workers make ends meet by increasing the federal minimum wage by at least $1.00 an hour over the next two years. The inflation-adjusted value of the federal minimum wage is currently less than it was in the early 1980s. The House did pass such an change March 9, but like the Senate, tied it to tax cuts that mainly benefit higher-income people, so President Clinton promises to veto it. More lobbying is needed.

The Hunger Relief Act and the proposed hike in the minimum wage are the focus of Bread for the World's 2000 Offering of Letters Campaign, A Fair Share: Working to End Hunger. As in past years, CTA is a co-sponsor. Thousands of congregations will be flooding Capitol Hill with letters. Lobby days with legislators are planned during May in home districts. To get involved, contact BFW at 1-800-BREAD. www.bread.org