Budget instructions could alter SNAP review plan, Conaway says
January 22, 2015 |05:56 PM
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway, R-Texas, told reporters today that his plans to undertake a “full-scale review” of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program without “prejudging the outcome” could be altered if he receives budget instructions from the leadership before that review is finished.
In his opening statement at the organizational meeting of the committee for the 114th Congress, Conaway said, “We will focus on aggressive oversight of all policies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction, including a full-scale review of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.”
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again here today: I am not pre-judging the outcome of the work our committee will undertake,” he said. “We owe it to the American taxpayers to do a thoughtful and thorough review of the programs under our jurisdiction.”
In talking to reporters after the meeting, Conaway said he intends to begin the review of the program known as SNAP or food stamps with a full committee hearing and then turn it over to the subcommittee in charge.
But he added that the schedule could change if House and Senate Republican leaders achieve their goal of reaching agreement on a budget resolution by the end of March, which, he noted, would “trigger reconciliation.”
Conaway said he is concerned about the percentage of people who have been on food stamps for five years and that one of the ways in which the program should be judged is how quickly people move off food stamps.
He also said that the SNAP hearing is unlikely to be the first hearing in the oversight process, which he expects to begin with testimony from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Conaway did not give any indication how quickly he plans to call Vilsack to testify.
Conaway also said he would ask Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Timothy Massad to testify. He said Massad appears to be “even handed” and is doing a good job on the massive amount of regulation associated with the Dodd-Frank financial reform act.
On President Barack Obama’s announced plans to re-establish full diplomatic relations with Cuba, Conaway told reporters he believes that normalization of relations with Cuba is “inevitable,” but it his personal view that Obama did not do a good enough job in negotiating with Cuban officials on the issues that affect Cubans’ every day lives.
At the organizational meeting, the committee, which is now composed of 25 Republicans and 19 Democrats, approved the committee rules, a lengthy oversight plan and the staff list for the 113th Congress, all by voice votes.
The only major rule change would allow Conaway, after consultation with House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., to issue a subpoena to someone to testify before the committee rather than waiting for a full committee vote.
Conaway’s proposal called for him to be able to issue the subpoena 24 hours after consultation with the ranking member, but Peterson offered an amendment to change the period to 48 hours, which was accepted.
Peterson said the 48-hour prior consultation period is in line with the practices of other committees.
Peterson said the subpoena power without a committee vote would most likely be used if Congress is in recess and Conaway said a subpoena is “more powerful” if there is a committee vote behind it.
Conaway and Peterson noted that the majority and minority staffs had collaborated on the oversight plan, which notes that the committee intends to identify programs that are “inefficient, duplicative, outdated or more appropriately administered by state or local governments for possible cuts or elimination.”
At Conaway’s request, Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., offered a prayer at the beginning of the meeting.
Thompson noted that God provides food for birds and animals and sunshine for harvest, and asked that God provide the members of the committee with “wisdom, the discernment the decision making and the collaboration to produce a great harvest for the people of this country in our work on agriculture.”
Conaway said he was proud to be the 50th chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.
“I represent and love rural America,” Conaway said. “The values and concepts that make our nation great are stored there, and I want to protect that.”
“To maintain a vibrant rural America, we must maintain a strong production agriculture system. This is the driving force behind the work that we do at the Agriculture Committee. I, along with many of you on this committee, represent rural America, and we are their voice. I consider this a privilege and a great responsibility.”
Conaway and Peterson both noted that the committee’s main legislative work will be reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, but that they will also engage in vigorous oversight.
▪ House Committee on Agriculture — Full Committee Organizational Meeting for the 114th Congress
In his opening statement at the organizational meeting of the committee for the 114th Congress, Conaway said, “We will focus on aggressive oversight of all policies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction, including a full-scale review of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.”
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again here today: I am not pre-judging the outcome of the work our committee will undertake,” he said. “We owe it to the American taxpayers to do a thoughtful and thorough review of the programs under our jurisdiction.”
In talking to reporters after the meeting, Conaway said he intends to begin the review of the program known as SNAP or food stamps with a full committee hearing and then turn it over to the subcommittee in charge.
But he added that the schedule could change if House and Senate Republican leaders achieve their goal of reaching agreement on a budget resolution by the end of March, which, he noted, would “trigger reconciliation.”
Conaway said he is concerned about the percentage of people who have been on food stamps for five years and that one of the ways in which the program should be judged is how quickly people move off food stamps.
He also said that the SNAP hearing is unlikely to be the first hearing in the oversight process, which he expects to begin with testimony from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Conaway did not give any indication how quickly he plans to call Vilsack to testify.
Conaway also said he would ask Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Timothy Massad to testify. He said Massad appears to be “even handed” and is doing a good job on the massive amount of regulation associated with the Dodd-Frank financial reform act.
On President Barack Obama’s announced plans to re-establish full diplomatic relations with Cuba, Conaway told reporters he believes that normalization of relations with Cuba is “inevitable,” but it his personal view that Obama did not do a good enough job in negotiating with Cuban officials on the issues that affect Cubans’ every day lives.
At the organizational meeting, the committee, which is now composed of 25 Republicans and 19 Democrats, approved the committee rules, a lengthy oversight plan and the staff list for the 113th Congress, all by voice votes.
The only major rule change would allow Conaway, after consultation with House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., to issue a subpoena to someone to testify before the committee rather than waiting for a full committee vote.
Conaway’s proposal called for him to be able to issue the subpoena 24 hours after consultation with the ranking member, but Peterson offered an amendment to change the period to 48 hours, which was accepted.
Peterson said the 48-hour prior consultation period is in line with the practices of other committees.
Peterson said the subpoena power without a committee vote would most likely be used if Congress is in recess and Conaway said a subpoena is “more powerful” if there is a committee vote behind it.
Conaway and Peterson noted that the majority and minority staffs had collaborated on the oversight plan, which notes that the committee intends to identify programs that are “inefficient, duplicative, outdated or more appropriately administered by state or local governments for possible cuts or elimination.”
At Conaway’s request, Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., offered a prayer at the beginning of the meeting.
Thompson noted that God provides food for birds and animals and sunshine for harvest, and asked that God provide the members of the committee with “wisdom, the discernment the decision making and the collaboration to produce a great harvest for the people of this country in our work on agriculture.”
Conaway said he was proud to be the 50th chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.
“I represent and love rural America,” Conaway said. “The values and concepts that make our nation great are stored there, and I want to protect that.”
“To maintain a vibrant rural America, we must maintain a strong production agriculture system. This is the driving force behind the work that we do at the Agriculture Committee. I, along with many of you on this committee, represent rural America, and we are their voice. I consider this a privilege and a great responsibility.”
Conaway and Peterson both noted that the committee’s main legislative work will be reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, but that they will also engage in vigorous oversight.
▪ House Committee on Agriculture — Full Committee Organizational Meeting for the 114th Congress
