The farm bill debate highlights division among Texans in Congress over SNAP and other policies

After about eight hours of discussion and amendments Thursday, Texas residents on the House Agriculture Committee remain divided along party lines over how the comprehensive farm bill will affect federal meal benefits.

Opponents say it would significantly reduce federal meal benefits. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that the proposed farm bill would cut SNAP funding by $2.29 billion in Texas alone. The Tarrant Area Food Bank said people living in the food bank’s 13-county area would lose millions in SNAP benefits and tens of millions in meals.

“When I say I’m fighting for a bill that includes making sure people in this country don’t go hungry, I’m not saying that just to say it’s about Texas (District) 30,” he added. said U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas. “I say this to say it’s about all of us. That’s why I’m not just fighting for my voters. I’m fighting for yours too.”

Earlier this month, Speaker Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania introduced the Agriculture, Food and Homeland Security Act of 2024. It would allow changes to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Thrifty Plan based solely on inflation adjustments. TFP estimates the lowest possible cost of a healthy diet for a family of four and provides the basis for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP funding.

Thompson and the bill’s supporters in committee said the plan is a balanced approach that will reverse the Biden administration’s changes to the program in 2021, which Thompson called an unlawful departure from the previous cost-neutral approach to adjusting TFP.

“If benefits must increase above the rate of inflation, Congress must consider and execute. That’s our job,” Thompson said. “Annual cost-of-living adjustments remain, so SNAP benefits will continue to increase and respond to inflation. “Unfortunately, I learned that my colleagues in the Democratic Party told us otherwise.”

New farm laws are passed approximately every five years. Agriculture committee members must agree on a version of the bill, which must be sent to the full House for consideration.

Republicans Ronny Jackson of Amarillo and Monica De La Cruz of Edinburg did not share their thoughts on the farm bill’s impact on SNAP benefits in their opening remarks. They supported the bill and highlighted their individual contributions to the bill, including Jackson’s bill to provide additional federal payments to farmers and ranchers who lost cattle in this year’s Panhandle fires.

Rep. Greg Casar, R-Austin, briefly addressed SNAP in his comments and in Wednesday’s news release. He mainly pointed out that, in his opinion, the draft law did not provide protection for agricultural workers.

“This is even hitting the public officials who administer SNAP benefits, pushing for more privatization of their public positions and the handing over of those positions to more corporations,” Casar said. “I mean, come on everyone. I came to this committee to vote for a pro-farm, pro-farm and pro-worker farm bill, not a corporate leaflet.”

Republican members of Congress like Rep. Marcus Molinaro won most support for the bill during Thursday’s discussion. The New York congressman grew up on food stamps and said increasing SNAP through cost-of-living adjustments protects food insecurity.

He said that’s what several of his Democratic colleagues supported when crafting the bill.

“We have not compromised on reducing SNAP benefits,” Molinaro said. “It’s not fair to say that.”

Democrats have signaled support for parts of the bill. Rep. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut said making some improvements could help farmers in her district. But she called the changes to the SNAP program an attack on the nation’s most vulnerable.

“Farmers in Connecticut and across the country deserve the certainty that the Farm Bill provides, but that doesn’t mean pitting them against the 42 million food-insecure Americans who rely on SNAP,” she said. “We need a farm bill that helps everyone.”

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