"I have heard . . . that people may become dependent on us for food. I know that was not supposed to be good news. To me that was good news, because before people can do anything they have got to eat. And if you are looking for a way to get people to lean on you and to be dependent on you, in terms of their cooperation with you, it seems to me that food dependence would be terrific."- Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey, in naming P.L. 480 the "Food for Peace" program, Wall Street Journal, May 7, 1982.
Late last night the House Agriculture Committee approved (35-11) the Farm Bill, (H.R. 6083),
which includes $16.5 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as food stamps). It is reported
that the legislation, introduced by Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R-OK)
and the Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN), will result in two to
three million people with low incomes no longer being eligible for SNAP
benefits; approximately 75% of those are households with children, and
280,000 children will no longer be able to receive free school lunches
as a result of their families losing their SNAP benefits. Almost half of
those currently receiving SNAP benefits are children under 18 years of
age. Further cuts in SNAP were rejected by a vote of 33-13 on an
amendment that split the committee Republicans down the middle. This
amendment by Representative Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) would have doubled
the reductions to $33 billion - as proposed in the GOP's spring budget
resolution.
Earlier
this week before the Committee vote, CWLA joined Members of Congress,
Feeding America, the Food Research and Action Center, and other national
organizations in opposition to the proposed cuts.
The Senate has passed
its version of the 2012 Farm Bill, with cuts of $4.5 billion to SNAP.
The full House must now take up H.R. 6083 and then if a bill is approved
it must go to a conference committee with the Senate. If the Senate and
House cannot agree on the terms and provisions of the 2012 Farm Bill it
is likely that Congress will then consider a one-year extension of the
2008 Farm Bill.
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