Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., has organized a letter urging Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to delay until fall implementation of the farm bill provision changing the amount that states must pay food stamp beneficiaries in heat and energy payments to trigger an increase in their benefits, a spokesman confirmed today.

The letter has been signed by 80 members of Congress so far — 13 senators and 67 House members — and hints that some states may increase their payments under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program so that benefits will not be reduced.

A Vilsack spokeswoman said that because the letter had not been received yet, the secretary would have no response at this time.

Under current law, any payment that states make under LIHEAP triggers an increase in benefits, although states have paid as little as 10 cents per person per year. The Agriculture Act of 2014 requires that the payment be $20 per year.

A Gillibrand spokesman said the farm bill calls for USDA to implement the provision within 30 days of the farm bill signing, which was February 7.

The letter said, “We urge you to implement the ‘Heat and Eat’ policy change this fall when states receive their LIHEAP block grants so that our agencies have adequate time to comply with their new LIHEAP allotments.”

“Furthermore, this will allow the Heat and Eat states the necessary time to provide outreach and support for many seniors, children, and individuals living with a disability who will be impacted by this policy change,” the letter says.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the provision would reduce benefits for 850,000 households by an average of $90 per month.

Currently, the District of Columbia and 14 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin) implement LIHEAP policies, the letter noted.

• Pending letter to Vilsack on food stamps provision

Signatures on food stamps letter

SENATE

• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.
• Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
• Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.
• Sen. Robert Casey Jr., D-Pa.
• Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
• Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass.
• Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Conn.
• Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
• Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I.
• Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
• Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.

HOUSE

• Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif.
• Rep. Tim Bishop, D-N.Y.
• Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.
• Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore.
• Rep. Robert Brady, D-Pa.
• Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif.
• Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif.
• Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass.
• Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif.
• Rep. Matthew Cartwright, D-Pa.
• Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.
• Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I.
• Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass.
• Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y.
• Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.
• Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn.
• Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y.
• Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.
• Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.
• Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash.
• Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa.
• Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.
• Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn.
• Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif.
• Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y.
• Rep. James Himes, D-Conn.
• Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J.
• Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
• Rep. William Keating, D-Mass.
• Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I.
• Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Mich.
• Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash.
• Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I.
• Rep. John Larson, D-Conn.
• Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.
• Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass.
• Rep. Dan Maffei, D-N.Y.
• Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.
• Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif.
• Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash.
• Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass.
• Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y.
• Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y.
• Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis.
• Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.
• Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif.
• Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass.
• Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J.
• Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J.
• Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wisc.
• Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y.
• Rep. Linda T. Sánchez, D-Calif.
• Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
• Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore.
• Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa.
• Rep. José Serrano, D-N.Y.
• Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H.
• Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J.
• Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.
• Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.
• Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif.
• Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass.
• Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y.
• Rep. Niki Tsongas, D-Mass.
• Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif.
• Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.
• Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt.