Top House Ag Democrat David Scott of Georgia is doubling down in his bid to undo GOP SNAP reforms in the committee-passed Republican farm bill.
Scott amplified in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution op-ed his clarion call in the May farm bill mark-up. Scott marked the 60th anniversary of SNAP, declaring it “the most effective anti-poverty tool,” and is one he said in May that the GOP bill would weaken to the detriment of vulnerable Americans.
He said back in May that, “This legislation before us today ensures that 30 billion dollars in SNAP benefits will not flow to low-income households with children, to our senior citizens, our American people with disabilities, our courageous veterans.”
But weeks later, Scott acknowledged the GOP argument that farmers need more help also. Scott said, “Commodity prices are not keeping up with higher input and credit costs. That is where we are, and why we need to address this issue to help our farmers.”
But now Scott, from election battleground Georgia, is back in attack mode. He charges Republicans want to “turn the clock back on SNAP” reforms in the 2018 farm bill and reduce SNAP benefit levels.
House Ag Chair Glenn Thompson counters that inflationary adjustments to SNAP would continue, but not discretionary Secretarial increases. As for criticism of moving funds across titles to help farmers. Thompson says, “I assume it needs reminding of contemporary farm bills where farmers were stripped of billions of dollars in exchange for additional funds in nutrition.”
Now, heading into the last few weeks of pre-election legislating, both sides seem to have hardened their positions, with the traditional food-farm coalition unable to reunite.
Story by Matt Kaye/Berns Bureau Washington; courtesy of NAFB News Service
