“The Republican farm bill would slash nearly $30 billion from SNAP benefits over the next decade, limit future adjustments outside of inflation and outsource eligibility decisions to private corporations, even as the federal program already struggles to prevent 41 million people from starving with the money that it has.” (Salon)
2024 Farm Bill Information (access link for details)
According to Salon, “House Republicans are trying to pass a $1.5 trillion farm bill that critics across the political spectrum say will squeeze farmers, weaken protections against pesticides and other potential toxins, and cut food stamps, putting poorer Americans at risk of going hungry.
The bill — the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, which will be debated in committee starting Thursday — seeks to accomplish its objectives not only by hamstringing the federal government, but by curbing the power of states and rural communities to set their own policies and standards, including on the welfare of animals. Meanwhile, the country’s largest and wealthiest producers stand to benefit from the bill’s allocation of massive subsidies and the removal of regulations. Industry groups representing them have praised the bill, pitting them against a long list of advocacyand farmer organizations who argue that must-pass farm legislation should not be skewed in favor of big agribusiness
Example: New York food for New York Families:
Meanwhile, SNAP benefits already fall short of meeting food costs; AXIOS reports, “SNAP benefits fail to cover the rising costs of groceries in 98% of U.S. counties, according to a new Urban Institute analysis. . . . . .The report’s release comes ahead of a Thursday markup of House Republicans’ $1.5 trillion farm bill, as advocates say proposed cuts could further undermine the federal food aid program.
Republican lawmakers say the House version wouldn’t cut SNAP benefits, but it would roll back changes made by the Biden administration to increase the benefit over 10 years to keep up with rising food costs. Senate Democrats have denounced the House bill.