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We encourage you to use the Hunger Action Center (www.HungerActionCenter.org) to thank your Members of Congress for voting in favor of overriding the President’s veto. For those that opposed the override, you can tell them why you believe the Farm Bill is important and urge them to support federal nutrition programs in the future.  You can also call your Members of Congress by using the 1-800-826-9624 number made available by AARP.  To find out how your Representatives and Senators voted, check http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll346.xml for House Roll Call 346 and
Senate Vote 140 http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/
roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm? congress=110&session=2&vote=00140.
 Here are the highlights of the nutrition title of the Farm Bill. 

• The $10.361 billion in new ten-year funding for the nutrition title provides for Food Stamp Program improvements, including for the first increase in the minimum benefit in 30 years (to about $15 and then indexing it); for increasing to $144 and then indexing the standard deduction for households of three or fewer; for uncapping the dependent care deduction; and for indexing asset limits and excluding retirement and education savings accounts from them.
   
• Provides $1.256 billion to increase and index commodity purchases for TEFAP; $1.020 billion for the fruit and vegetable snack program; $50 million for Community Food Projects; $50 million for Senior Farmers Markets; and $4 million for a six-state pilot for whole grain cereal foods for school breakfast and lunch.
   
• It extends simplified reporting options to elderly food stamp clients; allows states to provide transitional food stamp benefits for those leaving state-funded cash programs; and gives states the option of a telephonic signature.
   
• The nutrition title also renames the Food Stamp Program the "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program" (SNAP); bars splitting monthly food stamp allotments; authorizes the Congressional Hunger Center's fellows programs; allows preferences for locally produced food purchasing; and allows infrastructure and transportation grants for rural food bank delivery of perishable foods. The Farm Bill's horticulture title includes investments to bring Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) capacity to more farmers' markets.
   

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