Senators oppose nutrition cuts, House members protest stimulus cut
October 29, 2013 | 06:14 PM
Thirty-nine Democratic senators led by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., sent farm bill conferees a letter Monday urging them “to fight against harmful cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” which is better known as SNAP or food stamps, and to reject all eligibility changes that would make it harder for low-income children to get free school meals.
The letter did not, however, rule out all cuts to nutrition programs, saying that the senators “support efforts to improve the integrity of the SNAP program.”
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., has said that the cuts in the Senate version of the farm bill — $4 billion over 10 years — are limited to integrity issues. The House version of the farm bill would cut $39 billion over 10 years and make eligibility for both food stamps and school meals more difficult.
Meanwhile, a group of House Democrats and anti-hunger advocates scheduled a news conference today to protest the expiration of the Recovery Act-increased food stamp benefit that goes into effect on Friday.
After the expiration, a family of four would lose $36 per month in benefits.
The news conference was organized by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., who introduced a bill to extend the increase through 2016. There are no indications that the bill will be considered, however.
The letter did not, however, rule out all cuts to nutrition programs, saying that the senators “support efforts to improve the integrity of the SNAP program.”
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., has said that the cuts in the Senate version of the farm bill — $4 billion over 10 years — are limited to integrity issues. The House version of the farm bill would cut $39 billion over 10 years and make eligibility for both food stamps and school meals more difficult.
Meanwhile, a group of House Democrats and anti-hunger advocates scheduled a news conference today to protest the expiration of the Recovery Act-increased food stamp benefit that goes into effect on Friday.
After the expiration, a family of four would lose $36 per month in benefits.
The news conference was organized by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., who introduced a bill to extend the increase through 2016. There are no indications that the bill will be considered, however.
