Category: Federal

If our members of Congress cut SNAP, they will increase child hunger. SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, America’s largest anti-hunger program.

Despite the real pain this will inflict on children, seniors, and families, Congress is marching towards $230 billion in cuts – the largest reduction in history – that will force more people in Arizona to go hungry. In 2024, 923,400 Arizonans turned to this program to help them buy groceries and feed themselves and their families.

Right now and over the next several days, Congress is drafting legislation behind closed doors that will determine the future of this anti-hunger program.

Making Life Harder for Parents of School-Aged Children

One proposal is to increase the already stringent eligibility requirements around the program, which are costly to administer, and make it harder for families to keep up with complicated reporting requirements. For example, Arizona already has work requirements in place, but Congress is looking at new work requirements, including for families with school-aged children. In Arizona, about 32 percent of families with children are at risk of losing food assistance. This is a policy that will hurt struggling families and leave more children hungry. We urge Congress to exempt families with school-aged children from any work requirement proposal they may pursue.

Shifting Financial Responsibility to States With Empty Coffers

Another proposal they are considering is to drastically reduce federal investment, with an assumption that state budgets will fill the gap. We know in Arizona that our fiscal picture is unlikely to have ample state funds to make up the difference. This means more people will go hungry.

We urge our members of Congress to prevent massive cuts to SNAP because in this time of economic uncertainty and rising costs, their decision will result in a significant increase in hunger for Arizonans, including far too many children. 

Please join us in making your voice heard today with your member of Congress.

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Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP Will Cut Jobs 

In February of 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget resolution that requires devastating Medicaid cuts and cuts to the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP). Such cuts would cut off hundreds of thousands of Arizonans from vital services and would impact Arizona’s overall economy. Especially at this time when families are already struggling to afford a roof over their heads and a trip to the grocery store, our federal lawmakers should protect, not cut essential health services or cause loss of jobs in our state.

A new report from Commonwealth Fund quantifies the job loss consequences that will come with proposed cuts to Medicaid/AHCCCS coverage and SNAP.  

Congress can still avoid the cuts they’ve proposed, but if they go through with it, it is estimated that the Medicaid cuts will lead to a loss of 24,100 jobs, and cuts to SNAP would lead to a loss of 2,400 jobs in Arizona. These estimated losses are for 2026.

When considering cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, we first think of the children, families, seniors, and individuals who will lose their lifeline to health care or food assistance. Beyond that, it is also important to think of the impact that this hit to essential services would have on working people in Arizona and our overall economy. 

Source: Leighton Ku et al., How Potential Federal Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP Could Trigger the Loss of a Million-Plus Jobs, Reduced Economic Activity, and Less State Revenue (Commonwealth Fund, Mar. 2025). https://doi.org/10.26099/x2q9-7027

Proposed Cuts to School Meals Put Arizona Kids at Risk

Each day, millions of students fuel their minds and bodies with good, nutritious meals at their schools. School meals have proven to support children’s health and development while improving test scores, attendance, and behavior. However, access to school meals for thousands of children in Arizona is at risk.  

Congressional proposals threaten $12 billion in cuts to school breakfast and lunch meals, and the House Education and Workforce Committee, which has jurisdiction over school meals, has been directed to cut funding for programs within its jurisdiction by $330 billion. The proposals would substantially decrease the number of schools eligible for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and make it more difficult for eligible families to apply for free or reduced-price school meals at non-CEP schools. The CEP allows high-need schools to offer breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students.  

During the 2023–2024 school year, more than 23 million children attending schools in high-poverty areas had access to healthy school meals at no charge through CEP. Program adoption has grown year after year, creating more operational efficiencies for schools and keeping more students fed, all the while reducing stigma and lunch shaming in the cafeteria.  The proposals would force more than 24,000 schools nationwide, serving more than 12 million children, to drop CEP. The proposed cuts would reduce students’ access to nutritious school meals and raise families’ grocery bills while imposing unnecessary and burdensome paperwork requirements on schools.  

The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) released state-by-state fact sheets detailing how proposed cuts to the CEP would worsen childhood hunger, hurt struggling families, and create unnecessary burdens for schools and school districts.  The proposed cuts impact 366 schools in Arizona and 148,062 children. All children must continue to have access to nutritious school breakfasts and lunches for their health and learning.  

To read more about the CEP and the schools in Arizona that would be impacted, please review the FRAC and CBPP’s Arizona CEP Fact Sheet.  

Congressional Proposal Would Put 923,400 Children, Seniors, and Arizonans with Disabilities at Risk of Hunger

923,400 people in Arizona who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could be at risk of going hungry if Congress moves forward with a plan to cut $230 billion or more from the program over nearly 10 years. The specific details of the cuts are not public yet, but some Congressional leaders are calling for states to be required to pay a portion of Arizonan’s SNAP food benefits for the first time. Congress should reject this proposal and protect SNAP from harmful budget cuts.

To fund a portion of SNAP food benefits, Arizona would need to raise revenue, cut funding for other state-funded programs and services, cut SNAP benefit levels, restrict program eligibility, or some combination of these – all options that would cost Arizona more or take food assistance away from Arizonans. This proposal comes as Arizona cut programs and delayed costs, among other budget gimmicks, to resolve a $1.7 billion budget shortfall last summer. While Arizona’s current budget outlook is not in the red, it’s dangerously close.

Congressional leaders have not said how much they would force states to pay of SNAP food benefit costs. But if they create a new state match of 50% of SNAP benefits, it would cost Arizona about $100 million in 2026; a 25% match requirement would cost Arizona $501 million. It would be the first time that the federal government did not fully fund the cost of food benefits, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Congressional members are pushing deep federal spending cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and other vital services to “offset” the costs of extending and expanding tax cuts for the wealthy. Their tax cuts for households with incomes in the top 1 percent alone would cost roughly $1.1 trillion over 10 years. Forcing states to help pay SNAP benefits would let federal policymakers enact unpopular cuts while making someone else — state policymakers — decide which participants lose benefits.

“Listen to families. Every time a mom or dad goes to the grocery store, they are paying more for less,” said January Contreras, Executive Director of Children’s Action Alliance. “Our congressional delegation needs to hold the line on good policy that keeps children and seniors from going hungry and brings our tax dollars back into our local economy.”

“The prospect of this radical and sudden cost shift comes at a time when the Arizona budget is already strained,” said Geraldine Miranda. Economic Policy Analyst for the Arizona Center for Economic Progress. “As state legislators negotiate to work key tax and spending priorities into a balanced budget for next fiscal year, even a small new SNAP matching requirement would force wrenching trade-offs between letting more children going hungry and funding other important public services, such as education and public safety.”

If Arizona were required to match even 10% of SNAP benefit costs, the $200 million price to ensure families don’t lose food assistance would be equivalent to eliminating the child care waiting list for the final 6 months of the current budget. Arizona could pass along some of the cost to counties and cities, either directly or indirectly.

In Arizona, more than 68% of participating families have children, and almost 29% of participating families include seniors or adults with disabilities. Research shows SNAP reduces food insecurity and is linked to improved health, education, and economic outcomes and to lower medical costs for participants.

SNAP benefits are spent at more than 4,600 grocery stores in the state. Every $1 in additional spending on SNAP benefits in a weak economy generates $1.54 in economic activity when households use their benefits to shop at local businesses in their communities.

Protecting Immigrant and Mixed Status Families

Children’s Action Alliance works to build an Arizona where all children and families thrive. When children and families must live in fear just to obtain an education in school, our policymakers are failing. 

On January 20, 2025, the federal government rescinded a policy that protected sensitive locations such as churches, schools, and hospitals from immigration enforcement.  The cruel elimination of this protection allows officials to conduct immigration enforcement operations in these spaces, causing fear even in what have been – and should remain – safe spaces.  

The policy's removal threatens the well-being and safety of immigrant children and families in Arizona. 

In preparation and response to these federal actions, families and allies can seek and share valuable resources, including the following: 

Children’s Action Alliance is committed to advocating for policies to protect children and their families. We stand opposed to the inhumane elimination of protected spaces where children and families should feel safe, the unconstitutional attack on birthright citizenship, and the devastating consequences these actions will have on children and their ability to thrive.  

We urge community members to stay informed and share resources for the protection of all children and families in Arizona.

All Arizonans Need Paid Family Medical Leave

Paid family medical leave is a policy that serves children, families, and our economy. The Center for Law and Social Policy has released a new report that shares data surrounding the impact of paid family medical leave across the nation.

Hundreds of thousands of Arizonans need paid leave, but there is no established state paid family and medical leave program. Paid leave can be used to care for a new child, to heal from a serious illness, or to care for a loved one facing health challenges. When paid leave is not available, Arizonans often take an economic loss to care for themselves or a child or family member. In 2020, 35.3% of Arizonans took unpaid leave to care for a new child, with many also taking unpaid leave to care for their own health (29.4%) and to be a family caregiver (25.4%).

Many may wonder – why is this a children's issue? Because, as the report notes, paid leave supports:

  • improved health outcomes;
  • improved infant and toddler development;
  • better maternal mental and physical health;
  • reduced infant mortality; and
  • household economic security following the birth of a child.

Children’s Action Alliance advocates for paid family medical leave in Arizona and in federal policy because it is an important benefit that results in healthier families.

Read the report to see the impact on Arizona and become a part of the advocacy for paid family medical leave.

Click here to read the full report.

The Importance of Federal Spending for Children

A new report released last week underscores the importance of federal investments on issues that impact children and families. It is often said that your priorities are reflected in where you spend your money, and it seems children are. An afterthought when budgets are created. The 2022 Children's Budget, an annual report compiled by the national bipartisan advocacy group First Focus on Kids, looks at the federal share of combined spending dedicated to children across federal agencies. And the findings say a great deal about the nation’s priorities.

This year’s report shows a game-changing shift. In the last budget year prior to the pandemic (2020), the share of spending on children dropped to a record low of 7.55%. The COVID pandemic assistance combined with new federal initiatives introduced under the Biden Administration have increased the share of spending to 11.98%. Policies like the enhanced child tax credit, child care stabilization grants and expanded school nutrition programs were instrumental to lifting millions of Americans out of poverty.

Some other key findings:

  • Funding for children’s mental health has increased by 11.3%.
  • Funding for children’s environmental health increased by 25%.
  • Funding for dedicated to education programs increased by 105%.
  • Funding for justice and child protection increased by 28%

Despite their bipartisan popularity and success, many of these issues and initiatives are only temporary, and so are the gains. Some, like enhanced Child Tax Credits, have already expired. Others, such as the Public Health Emergency declaration that kept millions of families on health insurance coverage, are nearing their end. Without further action, these gains will be lost. Please continue to ask your representatives to to invest federal spending on initiatives that help children.

Read report here

Big Win! Final Public Charge Rule Announced

Last week, the Biden Administration announced changes to immigration rules that disproportionately harm low-income people of color.  

The changes repeal and replace extreme and discriminatory changes to the Public Charge determination process, which we and so many other Arizona advocates and allies have fought for years.  

This is a victory for Children’s Action Alliance, the Arizona Center for Economic progress, and our countless partners who are fighting for a country where all families have the tools and resources to thrive. The new Public Charge rule aligns with longstanding principles in immigration law and makes clear that the use of publicly supported health, nutrition, or housing programs will not be considered by federal officials as part of the green card application process.  

This rule cannot and will not erase years of harm, fear, and mistrust that have stopped thousands of Arizona families from getting supports they deserve, but we hope that it’s a vital step toward healing and a new pathway for foreign-born immigrants– one that acknowledges the dignity and worth of every Arizonan. 

 

It’s Time to Cross the Finish Line

In March 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provided bold, compassionate, and swift support to Arizonans in desperate need of a lifeline. ARPA worked to put vaccines in arms, safely reopen schools, and put food on tables. But ARPA was a targeted response to the urgent public health and economic crises; it was not necessarily a long-term solution to the many challenges facing our nation, further exacerbated by the pandemic.

Decades of disinvestment have resulted in serious deficits in our state, spanning across nearly every aspect of life. We can no longer afford the costs of inaction – it is now time for Arizona’s Senators and U.S. House members to help get the Build Back Better (BBB) Framework cross the finish line.

Though reduced in magnitude, the current BBB Framework will accomplish so much good for Arizona’s families and workforce. Arizona is ready for this investment and supports having the ultra-rich and corporations finally pay their fair share.

Positive payoffs for generations to come are in store if Congress votes to move this legislation forward. Just a few of the ambition programs outlined within the package include:

  • Universal Preschool for all 3- and 4-year Olds: Expand access to free high-quality preschool for more than 6 million children. This is a long-term program, with funding for six years.
  • Expanded Child Tax Credit: Extends the current expanded Child Tax Credit for more than 35 million American households, making refundability for the CTC permanent.
  • Housing Investment: $150 billion investment in housing affordability and reducing price pressures, including in rural areas. Funds will go towards building more than 1 million new affordable rental and single-family homes across the country, rental and down payment assistance, and public housing.

Despite the many disappointing cuts made to Build Back Better, most notably Paid Family and Medical Leave and the lowering of prescription drug prices, the vast benefit this package seeks to do cannot be overstated. Arizona needs this investment and desperately needs Senator Krysten Sinema and Senator Mark Kelly to say yes to this package.