The Farm Bill is currently being delayed due to a disagreement over food stamp benefits. Democrats are advocating to maintain the 2021 increase in SNAP benefits, while Republicans are striving to revert back to pre-2021 levels.
Farm Bill Faces Delay Over Dispute on 2021 SNAP Benefit Increase
According to The Center Square, a debate over food aid benefits is delaying passage of the new Farm Bill. The Democratic Women’s Caucus wrote to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, urging him to maintain a 2021 update that increased monthly SNAP benefits. They say that the present plan will reduce SNAP by $30 billion over the next ten years, harming single-parent families, particularly those led by women.
Susan Wild, a Democratic U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, blasted the proposed revisions, claiming they will impair essential nutrition programs for families. She feels that in a prosperous country, no one should go hungry because they cannot buy food. The debate centers on a change made under the Biden administration that increased SNAP benefits by 21%, adding $256 billion to the bill’s total cost.
GOP Pushes to Roll Back 2021 SNAP Benefits in Farm Bill, Citing Political Motivations
Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, the author of the bill, contends that the proposed reduction in SNAP benefits would simply restore them to their pre-2021 levels. He asserts that the increase in benefits in 2021 was hastily implemented and influenced by political motives. While the House, led by Republicans, backs the reduction, the Senate, led by Democrats, aims to maintain the 2021 modifications. Several senators argue that these changes will assist in uplifting millions of individuals from poverty.
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