WASHINGTON — Late Thursday night, Democrats and Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee clashed over funding for food and nutrition programs that are part of Republicans’ sweeping proposal for a novel five-year farm bill.
The committee’s $1.5 trillion omnibus bill would set the policy direction for funding agricultural and conservation programs, as well as food and nutrition programs for needy families, over the next five years.
Glenn “GT” Thompson, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, a Republican from Pennsylvania, presented the long-awaited bill last week and his panel underwent a marathon review on Thursday. The committee is expected to vote on a number of amendments and the bill around midnight Eastern time.
The bill is stalled due to disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over a funding calculation that would set limits on the formula used to calculate benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the food assistance program formerly known as food stamps.
Democrats said Thursday that this would lead to cuts to SNAP and destroy any future bipartisan support for the farm bill, which must pass the Senate.
“There is absolutely no way we can get a farm bill passed unless we address this issue, which is at the heart of the matter,” said Rep. David Scott of Georgia, the ranking Democrat on the committee, of the SNAP funding mechanism.
As the House committee debated the bill, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan, said in an interview Thursday that the bill had no chance in the Senate.
“It tears apart the agri-food coalition and does not have the votes to pass in the House of Representatives. And certainly not in the Senate,” Stabenow said. United States news department.
Nutrition programs account for the largest share of farm bill spending. There are more than 41 million people who utilize SNAP benefits, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Democrats plan changes to SNAP funding
Thompson’s bill would limit future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, the formula used to calculate SNAP benefits, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates would result in spending cuts of nearly $30 billion over 10 years, lawmakers say.
Democrats say this would significantly reduce the purchasing power of needy Americans for food.
“Any measure that takes food off the table for hard-working families means I won’t get my vote anymore,” said Rep. Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat from New Mexico.
“If we want a farm bill that can pass with the bipartisan support it needs to pass this committee, we need to go back to the table and remove this provision,” said Yadira Caraveo, a Democrat from Colorado.
Connecticut Democrat Jahana Hayes proposed an amendment that would have removed the changes to the program, but after more than two hours of passionate debate Thursday night, the amendment failed in a caucus vote by 25 to 29.
“It is unbelievable that we are once again attacking the most vulnerable in this country, the hungry,” Hayes told the committee. “There are promising elements of the bill, but it should not come at the expense of the most vulnerable.”
Republicans defend novel formula
The real issue is the cost projections for the Farm Bill over the next decade. The Farm Bill must remain budget neutral, so lawmakers must place their proposals within a baseline that determines how much the government would spend if the current Farm Bill were extended.
Republicans insist the SNAP changes are a cost-cutting exercise that would not actually reduce food assistance for needy families. The change would not take effect until 2027 and would not directly reduce current SNAP levels. Rather, it would freeze the list of products families can buy with their benefits and the values allowed to purchase those products, excluding inflationary increases.
Thus, the caps would make it more challenging for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to add novel items to the SNAP program or to provide greater support to certain categories, as the Biden administration did in 2021 when it increased benefits for fruits and vegetables.
Republican Mark Molinaro of New York said it was “dishonest” to call the changes a cut to SNAP benefits, and Republican Dusty Johnson of South Dakota said SNAP electronic benefit card benefits would not be cut.
However, Democrats pointed to CBO cost estimates that would result in a reduction in federal spending on SNAP if the bill were passed.
“We shouldn’t pretend this isn’t a big deal. It’s a huge deal… we have to do better,” said Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts.
California Democrat Salud Carbajal said Republicans were trying to “have it both ways.”
“If the committee considers it paid for, then you are depriving hungry families of funding,” Carbaja said.
The Farm Bill funds programs in 12 areas for five years. The comprehensive law combines support for agricultural producers, energy and conservation programs for farmland, and food and nutrition programs for families in need.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has raised concerns this week that the adjustment of SNAP benefits made by the Republican proposal endangers this coalition.
The Republican bill would boost agricultural security payments for certain crops, expand eligibility for disaster assistance, and boost funding for specialty crops, organic farmers, and dairy farmers.
It is expected to cost $1.5 trillion over 10 years. A title-by-title summary of the 942-page bill can be found Here.
Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report.
