Letter to the editor: Strengthen food assistance across nation

In the of era of social distancing, Pittsburghers are more united than ever — not only are we keeping up with work and loved ones through video calls, we are also coming together to meet the needs of our community (“Outside PPG Paints Arena and Rivers Casino, groups rally to feed the hungry,” April 10, TribLIVE).

However, to address the needs of the 2 million Pennsylvanians and nearly 40 million Americans at large whose struggle with hunger has only gotten more difficult amid the coronavirus pandemic, it is crucial that Congress and the Trump administration prioritize strengthening food assistance via SNAP (formerly food stamps).

On April 9, Sen. Bob Casey and a group of Pennsylvania representatives, including Mike Doyle and Conor Lamb, submitted a letter urging Senate and House leaders to do just that. They called for a hold on rules limiting SNAP eligibility and a boost in the maximum SNAP benefit by 15%, among other strengthening provisions. I sincerely thank these members of Congress and urge Sen. Pat Toomey to join their efforts in the hopes that Congress and the administration can show the same solidarity that we are seeing in our community.

Keerthana V. Samanthapudi

Franklin Park