Congress heads off to recess; fate of SNAP, farm bill conference uncertain
August 02, 2013 | 01:19 PM
The Senate adjourned late Thursday for a five-week recess until September 9, while the House plans to leave today for the same period after making plans for a vote in early September on a bill that would make $40 billion in cuts over 10 years in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP or food stamps.
The Senate confirmed the nominations of Krysta Harden to be Agriculture deputy secretary and Robert Bonnie to be Agriculture undersecretary for natural resources and environment.
Senate leaders also appointed the seven most senior Democratic members of the Senate Agriculture Committee and the five most senior Republican members of the Agriculture committee (excluding Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.) to be conferees on the farm bill.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has said he does not plan to appoint conferees until September, and Democrats have noted it will be difficult to pass a farm bill by September 30 when the current extension of the 2008 farm bill expires because the House will be in session only nine days in August.
Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., is planning to hold a vote on his proposal for a $40 billion cut over 10 years in nutrition programs, his spokesman confirmed
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., announced Thursday that Cantor’s working group on nutrition had reached agreement on a proposal to put before the House in September. The House passed a farm-program-only farm bill in July but has not acted successfully on the nutrition title that is normally included in farm bills.
Cantor and the working group apparently believe that they can convince 218 Republican members to vote for the measure, but Lucas said he was not sure that could be achieved.
“You never know until the vote,” said Lucas, whose comprehensive farm bill failed on the House floor in June. Democrats voted against the farm-program-only farm bill, and denounced the plan to vote on the food stamp cut as cruel and pointless because the Senate will not consider such a cut.
But Cantor spokesman Doug Heye told The Hill Thursday, “Majority Leader Cantor and Chairman Lucas have worked with members to present a stand-alone nutrition bill building on those reforms already considered by the House. That will include common-sense measures, such as work requirements and job training requirements for able-bodied adults without children receiving assistance, that enjoy a broad range of support.”
Cantor has not released details of the proposal.
The House Agriculture Committee-passed bill cut $20.5 billion by requiring states to increase the amount of money that they provide in Low-Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program benefits to qualify food stamp program participants for higher benefits, and by eliminating the categorical eligibility under which states have freedom in deciding eligibility for the program.
The additional $20 billion in budget savings would apparently come from forcing millions of people off the rolls if they do not find work in three months, Politico reported. The proposal would also impose work requirements on able-bodied parents with children over the age of one year, Politico added.
CQ Roll Call said the work requirements would result in 4 million people in 40 states losing benefits.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement, “Once again, House Republicans are blatantly displaying a wanton disregard for the basic needs of nearly 50 million vulnerable Americans. For decades, nutrition programs in the farm bill have offered food security to millions of families across the country; yet House Republicans, with no shame, have decided to take food from the mouths of children and seniors.”
“This outrageous and callous agreement slashes $40 billion from SNAP and other critical nutrition programs — double what they originally proposed and more than 10 times what the Senate seamlessly passed in a bipartisan vote,” Pelosi added.
She also noted that the vote would slow down the process of writing a farm bill.
“Rather than moving forward to pass a full farm bill, Republicans are doubling down on a failed strategy that only serves to undermine the health of millions of Americans and has no chance of becoming law,” Pelosi said.
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., added, “Once again, Republicans have succeeded at taking a bad bill and making it worse.”
“I am very disappointed by reports that Republican leaders are planning to seek a $40 billion cut to nutrition assistance that helps the most vulnerable in our communities stave off hunger and poverty,” Hoyer said. “To do so would be shameful and run counter to our most fundamental values as a nation.”
“For seniors, children in low-income families, the disabled, and those who have lost jobs, food and nutrition programs are a lifeline and must be preserved,” he said. “I urge Chairman Lucas and other Republicans on the Agriculture Committee to work with Democrats to protect our investments in nutrition as we move forward with discussions on a farm bill.”
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., a leader on nutrition issues for many years, said, “Just when I think that House Republicans can’t get any more short-sighted or cruel, they pull a stunt like this.”
“In an attempt to placate the most toxic, tea party elements of their conference, they have apparently decided to double down on the crazy,” he said. “To throw even more families off of the assistance they need. To make hunger even worse than the terrible farm bill we defeated several weeks ago.”
“If House Republicans insist on moving forward with this awful proposal, I will fight it with every ounce of energy I can muster,” McGovern said. “I urge people across the country to use the August recess to tell their members of Congress that $40 billion in SNAP cuts is absolutely unacceptable.”
The Senate confirmed the nominations of Krysta Harden to be Agriculture deputy secretary and Robert Bonnie to be Agriculture undersecretary for natural resources and environment.
Senate leaders also appointed the seven most senior Democratic members of the Senate Agriculture Committee and the five most senior Republican members of the Agriculture committee (excluding Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.) to be conferees on the farm bill.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has said he does not plan to appoint conferees until September, and Democrats have noted it will be difficult to pass a farm bill by September 30 when the current extension of the 2008 farm bill expires because the House will be in session only nine days in August.
Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., is planning to hold a vote on his proposal for a $40 billion cut over 10 years in nutrition programs, his spokesman confirmed
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., announced Thursday that Cantor’s working group on nutrition had reached agreement on a proposal to put before the House in September. The House passed a farm-program-only farm bill in July but has not acted successfully on the nutrition title that is normally included in farm bills.
Cantor and the working group apparently believe that they can convince 218 Republican members to vote for the measure, but Lucas said he was not sure that could be achieved.
“You never know until the vote,” said Lucas, whose comprehensive farm bill failed on the House floor in June. Democrats voted against the farm-program-only farm bill, and denounced the plan to vote on the food stamp cut as cruel and pointless because the Senate will not consider such a cut.
But Cantor spokesman Doug Heye told The Hill Thursday, “Majority Leader Cantor and Chairman Lucas have worked with members to present a stand-alone nutrition bill building on those reforms already considered by the House. That will include common-sense measures, such as work requirements and job training requirements for able-bodied adults without children receiving assistance, that enjoy a broad range of support.”
Cantor has not released details of the proposal.
The House Agriculture Committee-passed bill cut $20.5 billion by requiring states to increase the amount of money that they provide in Low-Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program benefits to qualify food stamp program participants for higher benefits, and by eliminating the categorical eligibility under which states have freedom in deciding eligibility for the program.
The additional $20 billion in budget savings would apparently come from forcing millions of people off the rolls if they do not find work in three months, Politico reported. The proposal would also impose work requirements on able-bodied parents with children over the age of one year, Politico added.
CQ Roll Call said the work requirements would result in 4 million people in 40 states losing benefits.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement, “Once again, House Republicans are blatantly displaying a wanton disregard for the basic needs of nearly 50 million vulnerable Americans. For decades, nutrition programs in the farm bill have offered food security to millions of families across the country; yet House Republicans, with no shame, have decided to take food from the mouths of children and seniors.”
“This outrageous and callous agreement slashes $40 billion from SNAP and other critical nutrition programs — double what they originally proposed and more than 10 times what the Senate seamlessly passed in a bipartisan vote,” Pelosi added.
She also noted that the vote would slow down the process of writing a farm bill.
“Rather than moving forward to pass a full farm bill, Republicans are doubling down on a failed strategy that only serves to undermine the health of millions of Americans and has no chance of becoming law,” Pelosi said.
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., added, “Once again, Republicans have succeeded at taking a bad bill and making it worse.”
“I am very disappointed by reports that Republican leaders are planning to seek a $40 billion cut to nutrition assistance that helps the most vulnerable in our communities stave off hunger and poverty,” Hoyer said. “To do so would be shameful and run counter to our most fundamental values as a nation.”
“For seniors, children in low-income families, the disabled, and those who have lost jobs, food and nutrition programs are a lifeline and must be preserved,” he said. “I urge Chairman Lucas and other Republicans on the Agriculture Committee to work with Democrats to protect our investments in nutrition as we move forward with discussions on a farm bill.”
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., a leader on nutrition issues for many years, said, “Just when I think that House Republicans can’t get any more short-sighted or cruel, they pull a stunt like this.”
“In an attempt to placate the most toxic, tea party elements of their conference, they have apparently decided to double down on the crazy,” he said. “To throw even more families off of the assistance they need. To make hunger even worse than the terrible farm bill we defeated several weeks ago.”
“If House Republicans insist on moving forward with this awful proposal, I will fight it with every ounce of energy I can muster,” McGovern said. “I urge people across the country to use the August recess to tell their members of Congress that $40 billion in SNAP cuts is absolutely unacceptable.”
