WASHINGTON (JTA) – The Jewish Council for Public Affairs is circulating a letter on Capitol Hill urging lawmakers to support a federal budget agreement and avoid a government shutdown.

The two-page letter being circulated this week asks Congress to quickly approve a budget that would remove sequester cuts and restore funds to such safety net programs as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP; Women, Infants and Children, or WIC;  Pell grants and Head Start, as well as all foreign aid, including money for Israel.

“Spending cuts should not unfairly target the most vulnerable among us,” Jared Feldman, JCPA’s vice president and Washington director, wrote in the letter.

“We urge you to strengthen anti-poverty efforts and restore opportunities for all Americans. It is critical that Congress come together cooperatively and civilly in this effort. Regardless of the outcome, a cantankerous and divisive process is unacceptable.”