The partisan fight over SNAP spending is not limited to the farm bill. It was also highlighted in recent House committee action on the FY 2025 USDA-FDA spending bill.
The fight over food stamp funding won’t go away. It came up again as House Ag Appropriations Chair Andy Harris called once more to allow states to run SNAP healthy food pilots. Harris said, “Let me be clear. This does not reduce funding for the program or reduce household benefits. This does not make a nationwide program change. We do know that some states and cities have been interested in restricting unhealthy foods in the SNAP program, so this allows them to pilot the concept.”
Freeing up funds to pay for healthier foods, Harris argues, like fruits and vegetables. But Ranking Democrat Sanford Bishop argued that designating a specific SNAP pilot was unnecessary. Bishop said, “USDA already has the authority to approve pilots, and this doesn’t add anything to that authority. Why pick that fight again?”
But Democrats were more concerned with GOP broader cuts to SNAP in FY 2025. Bishop said, “The bill under-funds SNAP by $165 million. There’s a reason we fund this mandatory program at the full level every year, and the decision to short-change it only jeopardizes the effort to provide food assistance to our fellow Americans who need it the most.”
Democrats charge the pending House farm bill would pare SNAP increases by almost $30 billion over ten years and refuse to vote for a farm bill that uses those savings to boost farm programs.
Republicans argue SNAP is 82 percent of the farm bill and long-outdated farm supports need updating to help offset the soaring costs of farm inputs, loans, and labor.
Story by Matt Kaye/Berns Bureau courtesy of NAFB News Service