Latest news with #SenateAgriculture
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate referee greenlights GOP's updated SNAP proposal in ‘big, beautiful bill'
A Republican effort to require states to cover a share of food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for the first time can now move forward after a recent decision from the Senate's parliamentarian. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled a revised proposal from the Senate complied with the chamber's Byrd Rule, days after she rejected the GOP's previous 'state cost-share' proposal. As part of a sweeping plan to advance President Trump's tax agenda and reduce some federal spending, Republicans sought to require states to cover some of the cost of SNAP benefits — which are currently completely funded by the federal government — if they have a payment error rate above 6 percent beginning in fiscal 2028. The proposal in the megabill would also allow states with rates below that level to continue paying zero percent. Under the updated proposal approved by the parliamentarian, Republicans say states would be allowed to 'choose either the Fiscal Year 2025 or Fiscal Year 2026 payment error rate to calculate their state match requirement that begins in Fiscal Year 2028.' 'For Fiscal Year 2029 and following, the state match will be calculated using the payment error rate from three fiscal years prior,' the lawmakers added in a statement from the GOP-led Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. 'A state must contribute a set percentage of the cost of its SNAP benefits if its payment error rate exceeds six percent.' Republicans also noted the proposal will help incentivize states to get their payment error rates down. 'This paves the way for important reforms that improve efficiency and management of SNAP while encouraging responsible use of taxpayer dollars,' Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) said in a statement. 'In 2023 alone, over $10 billion was misspent when administering this program – underscoring the need for stronger accountability,' Boozman continued. 'Our commonsense approach encourages states to adopt better practices, reduce error rates, be better stewards of taxpayer dollars, and prioritize the resources for those who truly need it.' In discussing the revised plan earlier this week, the Arkansas senator argued the updated proposal 'just gives the states more information to work with.' 'But as far as affecting the program or how the program works, it's the same,' he told The Hill. 'Again, it just gives them a little bit more flexibility and a little bit more information.' 'The savings are almost identical,' Boozman added. However, Democrats have leveled sharp criticism against the effort, which some argue could lead to states cutting benefits on their own by shifting billions of dollars in costs to states. 'Congressional Republicans have chosen to cut food assistance for millions of Americans to give tax breaks to billionaires,' Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, said in a statement Friday. 'Instead of working with Democrats to lower costs for Americans, Congressional Republicans are doubling-down on shifting costs to states that they simply cannot bear,' she added. 'We'll keep fighting these proposals that raise grocery costs and take food away from millions of people, including seniors, children, and veterans.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
21-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
GOP's food stamp plan is found to violate Senate rules. It's the latest setback for Trump's big bill.
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'We will keep fighting to protect families in need,' said Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, which handles the SNAP program. Advertisement 'The Parliamentarian has made clear that Senate Republicans cannot use their partisan budget to shift major nutrition assistance costs to the states that would have inevitably led to major cuts,' she said. The committee chairman, Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said in a statement that his team is examining options that would comply with Senate rules to achieve savings and 'to ensure SNAP serves those who truly need it while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.' Advertisement What's at stake in the big bill The parliamentarian's ruling is the latest in a series of setbacks as staff works through the weekend, often toward midnight, to assess the 1,000-page proposal. It all points to serious trouble ahead for the bill, which was approved by the House on a party-line vote last month over unified opposition from Democrats and is now undergoing revisions in the Senate. At its core, the goal of the multitrillion-dollar package is to extend tax cuts from Trump's first term that would otherwise expire if Congress fails to act. It also adds new ones, including no taxes on tips or overtime pay. To help offset the costs of lost tax revenue, the Republicans are proposing cutbacks to federal Medicaid, health care and food programs — some $1 trillion. Additionally, the package boosts national security spending by about $350 billion, including to pay for Trump's mass deportations, which are running into protests nationwide. Trump has implored Republicans, who have the majority in Congress, to deliver on his top domestic priority, but the details of the package, with its hodgepodge of priorities, is drawing deeper scrutiny. All told, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the package, as approved by the House, would The Senate's strict 'Byrd Rule' The parliamentarian's office is tasked with scrutinizing the bill to ensure it complies with the so-called Byrd Rule, which is named after the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd, and bars many policy matters in the budget reconciliation process now being used. Advertisement Late Friday, the parliamentarian issued its latest findings. It determined that Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee's proposal to have the states pick up more of the tab for covering food stamps — what Republicans call a new cost-sharing arrangement — would be in violation of the Byrd Rule. Many lawmakers said the states would not be able to absorb the new requirement on food aid, which has long been provided by the federal government. They warned many would lose access to SNAP benefits used by more than 40 million people. Initially, the CBO had estimated about $128 billion in savings under the House's proposal to shift SNAP food aid costs to the states. Cost estimates for the Senate's version, which made changes to the House approach, have not yet been made publicly available. More questions and decisions ahead The parliamentarian's office rulings leave GOP leaders with several options. They can revise the proposals to try to comply with Senate rules or strip them from the package altogether. They can also risk a challenge during floor voting, which would require the 60-vote threshold to overcome. That would be unlikely in the split chamber with Democrats opposing the overall package. The parliamentarian's latest advice also said the committee's provision to make certain immigrants ineligible for food stamps would violate the rule. It found several provisions from the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which is led by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to be in violation. They include one to provide $250 million to Coast Guard stations damaged by fire in 2025, namely one on South Padre Island in Texas. Still to come are some of the most important rulings from the parliamentarian. One will assess the GOP's approach that relies on 'current policy' rather than 'current law' as the baseline for determining whether the bill will add to the nation's deficits. Advertisement Already, the parliamentarian delivered a serious setback Thursday, finding that the GOP plan to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was a core proposal coming from the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, would be in violation of the Byrd Rule. The parliamentarian has also advised of violations over provisions from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that would rollback Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards on certain vehicles and from the Senate Armed Services Committee to require the defense secretary to provide a plan on how the Pentagon intends to spend the tens of billions of new funds. The new work requirements in the package would require many of those receiving SNAP or Medicaid benefits to work 80 hours a month or engage in other community or educational services. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate GOP's plan to push food aid costs onto states axed from megabill
Senate Republicans' plan to force states to share the cost of the country's largest nutrition program to pay for their policy megabill has been halted by the chamber's rules. The Senate parliamentarian determined that the cost-sharing plan would violate the so-called Byrd Rule, which limits what can be included in the reconciliation process, and would be subject to a 60-vote filibuster threshold, according to an advisory sent out Friday night by Senate Budget Committee Democrats. That means Republicans will need to head back to the drawing board after months of heated debate about how to slash spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The advisory comes after Senate Agriculture Committee staff met with Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough on Thursday to discuss their piece of the reconciliation bill text. The cost-sharing plan, which was first put forward by House Republicans, sparked backlash from state officials and concerns within the caucus. The bill would make states pay for SNAP benefits for the first time using a sliding scale based on their payment error rates. The Senate Agriculture Committee introduced a scaled-back version of the House GOP's cost-sharing plan earlier this month. Without it, Senate Republicans will struggle to find enough cuts to pay for their policy priorities and the $67 billion farm bill package they included — all with an ambitious timeline of delivering the megabill to President Donald Trump's desk by July 4. Although the committee's bill hadn't received a final cost saving estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, committee staff predicted it would save around $211 billion in agriculture spending, with the cost-share plan making up a large portion of those trims. MacDonough also struck measures that would remove SNAP eligibility for immigrants who are not lawful permanent residents and extend a farm bill provision that allows federal officials to update farm payment programs.
E&E News
12-06-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Senate Agriculture cuts billions for climate in megabill
The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee's piece of the Republican megabill would steer billions of dollars away from climate-related programs that shaped much of farm policy during the Biden administration. Legislative text released Wednesday would draw as much as $16 billion away from the Inflation Reduction Act's conservation provisions and redirect those unobligated funds toward long-standing programs, shedding the IRA's focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through farmland conservation. Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) said the measure — which will be wrapped into Republican's big tax cut and spending bill being considered through budget reconciliation — would cut waste and update farm programs that were last revised in the 2018 farm bill. Advertisement 'Our farmers and ranchers are facing real challenges, which have been unaddressed for too long,' Boozman said in a news release. 'This legislation delivers the risk management tools and updated farm bill safety net they need to keep producing the safest, most abundant and affordable food, fuel, and fiber in the world.'
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate Agriculture Committee reviews zoning, excavation, wasterwater bills
(Photo: NC Department of Agriculture 2018 Pesticide Report) The Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee approved one bill and discussed two others during its hearing on Tuesday. Lawmakers voted to pass House Bill 126, titled 'Revise Voluntary Ag. District Laws,' without any discussion or testimony. This measure would require government agencies considering condemning or rezoning property within a voluntary agricultural district to hold a public hearing. There would be 45 days to set up the hearing and 120 days for the local agricultural advisory board to submit its findings and recommendations to the agency. 'At this point, I've heard no opposition to this bill,' primary sponsor Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin, Wayne) said. The bill now heads to the Senate Rules Committee. Legislators also reviewed two bills for discussion only: House Bill 247 ('8-1-1 Amendments') and House Bill 694 ('Study Water/Wastewater Regionalization'). Sen. Michael Lazzara (R-Onslow) presented HB 247 to the panel, explaining the language would be replaced with text from Senate Bill 328, which updates the Underground Utility Safety and Damage Prevention Act. 'We just made the corrections to some of the language, but essentially, it's a consensus,' he said. Sen. Tom McInnis (R-Cumberland, Moore) said he appreciated the bill, seeing as he's had a lot of complaints about 8-1-1. That's the number individuals should call prior to excavating to ensure they don't encounter any buried utilities. 'We can't move forward in our state unless we have a cohesive unit of construction,' McInnis said. If this bill passes the panel, it will proceed to the Senate Rules Committee. It's the same case for HB 694, which would direct the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina to study wastewater and water regionalization efforts. Sen. David Craven (R-Anson, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, Union) presented the legislation. Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D-Wake) asked about the Department of Environmental Quality's role in the process of transferring water between basins. 'This starts with a notice, then DEQ works with the water applicant to develop a draft environmental statement that looks at environmental impacts, it looks at alternatives to the water withdrawal, as well as several other things of that nature,' legislative analysis Kyle Evans said.
