Latest news with #U.S.HouseAgricultureCommittee
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Farm Bill passes House committee with $300B SNAP cuts. What it means for 3 million Texans
A sweeping Farm Bill that includes $300 billion in cuts to food assistance programs has cleared the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, raising concerns for millions of Texans who rely on these benefits to put food on the table. Traditionally bipartisan, the Farm Bill has become a point of sharp political contention, primarily over funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). House Republicans are pushing to reduce SNAP funding by up to $300 billion over the next decade, citing fiscal responsibility and a desire to shift resources toward other agricultural priorities. Democrats oppose the cuts, warning they would deepen food insecurity, especially in rural communities where SNAP is widely used. Last year, the Farm Bill reached this same stage but stalled in Congress due to political divisions over proposed SNAP cuts, then at a significantly lower amount of $30 billion. Since then, changes in congressional leadership have increased that figure tenfold, intensifying the partisan divide. These disagreements prevented the bill from advancing, leading lawmakers to abandon the effort and extend the 2018 Farm Bill for another year as elections approached and political sensitivities around food assistance grew. Originally set to expire in 2023, the Farm Bill — typically renewed every five years — has since been extended twice, with the current extension set to expire on Sept. 30, 2025. The House Agriculture Committee voted 29-25 along party lines to advance legislation that would cut up to $300 billion in food aid spending to help fund Republicans' domestic policy megabill and some farm programs. The vote sends the measure to the House Budget Committee for further consideration before a full House floor vote. If passed, the GOP proposal would create the largest overhaul in decades to SNAP, which helps more than 42 million Americans afford food, by requiring states to share the cost of SNAP benefits. The ongoing standoff over SNAP funding remains the main obstacle to passing a new Farm Bill, placing vital programs for both farmers and low-income families at risk. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Illinois) told Brownfield Ag News late last month that many Democrats voted against last year's Farm Bill draft because of the potential cuts, which were far less. With that number now increasing significantly, it is unclear whether this draft will advance further or if the bill will become gridlocked again. With Republicans now controlling the House, Senate, and the presidency, the new Farm Bill is expected to reflect more conservative priorities, including a focus on fiscal responsibility, spending reductions and shifts in resource allocation. SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a federal program that helps low-income Americans buy food. More than 42 million people across the United States receive SNAP benefits, including approximately 3.5 million Texans, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In Texas, over $600 million in benefits are loaded each month onto Lone Star cards for families in need. Benefit amounts vary by household size. According to the USDA, the maximum monthly SNAP benefits are: 1 person: $292 2 people: $536 3 people: $768 4 people: $975 5 people: $1,158 6 people: $1,390 7 people: $1,536 8 people: $1,756 Each additional person: $220 Only two Texans currently serve on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee: Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-13), who represents the Amarillo area, and Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-15), whose district includes McAllen. Both were appointed to the committee for the 118th Congress, which began in January 2023. The committee's recent 29-25 vote on the Farm Bill was a strict party-line split, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats opposed. This means both Texas lawmakers supported the SNAP cuts included in the legislation. De La Cruz has been particularly outspoken in her support for the Farm Bill and its proposed changes. While she acknowledges that approximately 25% of her district's population relies on SNAP benefits, she has raised concerns about what she sees as excessive allocations and potential abuse within the program. 'I want to be very clear: I support SNAP and the benefits that SNAP gives to families who are in a time of need," she said in a hearing last month. "Many South Texans really need and rely on this critical program for their family and for feeding their family. I take it personal when I hear tactics and fear mongering and rhetoric from the other side of the aisle because you're talking about my people. You're talking about people that I live with and in my community." At the same time, De La Cruz criticized the Democratic Party's portrayal of the Republican effort to cut SNAP funding, describing it as exaggerated and misleading. She argued that, what she described as 'fear tactics,' unfairly paint Republicans as unsympathetic to struggling families, when in her view, the intent is to protect the program's long-term viability by addressing fraud and abuse. 'We need to stop the rhetoric and really the fear tactics when it comes to talking about SNAP and the work we're trying to do in this committee which is to truly give those people who are most in need the benefit that they need," De La Cruz said. "No American should go home and should sleep hungry. Period.' "It's important that we protect this program because it's feeding people in my community. That being said, we must cut out the fraud and abuse to ensure those that rightfully need this program is in place not for today but for tomorrow," she added. However, not everyone agrees with De La Cruz's framing of the issue. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) sharply criticized her vote, accusing her of siding with wealthy interests at the expense of vulnerable Texans. 'While Monica De La Cruz pretends to care about working Texas families and farmers, the only people she's really fighting for are the wealthy benefactors of Republican's tax cuts for billionaires," said DCCC Spokesperson Madison Andrus after last week's vote. "This bill will rip food off the tables of her district's most vulnerable children and take money directly out of farmers' pockets – De La Cruz's vote is a direct betrayal of the very people she vowed to protect and Texas' 15th won't forget it.' The proposed Farm Bill includes several key changes aimed at supporting farmers and agricultural producers. Price Loss Coverage (PLC) reference prices increased by 10% to 20%: PLC is a safety net program that helps farmers when market prices for certain crops fall below a set reference price. Raising these reference prices means farmers could receive higher payments to cover losses if crop prices drop. Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) guarantee raised to 90%: ARC provides revenue support if a farmer's crop income falls below a certain percentage of their historical average. Increasing the guarantee to 90% means farmers will be protected against a greater share of income loss during bad crop years. Expansion of eligible base acres by 30 million acres: Base acres are the land areas used to calculate subsidy payments. Expanding eligible acres allows more farmland to qualify for support payments, potentially increasing the number of acres that farmers can receive assistance for. Payment limit increase from $125,000 to $155,000, indexed to inflation: Farm subsidy payments to individual producers are capped to prevent excessive payouts. Raising the limit allows farmers to receive higher payments, with the cap adjusted over time to keep up with inflation. Crop insurance support — Increasing Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) premium subsidies from 65% to 80%: SCO is a type of crop insurance that helps cover losses beyond standard policies. Increasing premium subsidies means farmers pay less out of pocket for this insurance, making it more affordable to protect their crops. Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding rises from $2.66 billion in fiscal year 2026 to $3.26 billion by fiscal year 2031. EQIP helps farmers implement conservation practices like soil health and water quality improvements. Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) funding increases from $1.3 billion in 2026 to $1.38 billion in 2031. CSP rewards farmers who maintain high environmental stewardship on their land. Members of Congress who sit on the Senate and House Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry are primarily responsible for drafting farm bills. The Farm Bill is a $1.5 trillion program that consists of a lot more than just crops and livestock. In fact, it impacts everyone in one way or another, whether through school lunch and government assistance or support of natural resources, such as our forests. The legislation is broken into 12 sections, or titles. Each title addresses different aspects of agriculture and related sectors. Here's a summary of each title: Commodities: Covers price and income support for farmers producing non-perishable crops, dairy and sugar, along with agricultural disaster assistance. Conservation: Includes programs for natural resource conservation on working lands and land retirement and easement programs. Trade: Covers food export subsidy programs and international food aid. Nutrition: Encompasses SNAP and other nutrition programs to assist low-income Americans, as well as school lunches. Credit: Focuses on federal loan programs to help farmers access financial credit. Rural development: Supports rural economic growth through business and community development, rural housing and infrastructure. Research, extension, and related matters: Funds farm and food research, education and extension programs. Forestry: Addresses forest-specific conservation programs. Energy: Encourages biofuel production, renewable energy installation and energy-related research. Horticulture: Includes farmers market programs, research funding for horticultural crops and organic farming initiatives. Crop Insurance: Provides subsidies for crop insurance premiums and supports the development of insurance policies. Miscellaneous: Covers various advocacy and outreach areas such as support for beginning, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers, agricultural labor safety, workforce development and livestock health. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Farm Bill advances with cuts to food stamps. How many Texans use SNAP?
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
East Texas Food Bank Responds To Possible SNAP Cuts
TYLER, Texas (KETK)- The East Texas Food Bank released its 2025 Map the Meal Gap numbers. They say it's their snapshot of hunger in East Texas, which currently shows 1 in 5 adults in our area don't have enough food to eat. Texas bill allows food truck owners to simplify permits in each county 'As it relates to children, we are still at 1 in 4,' East Texas Food Bank chief executive officer David Emerson said. This amounts to nearly 44.6 million meals, an increase from last year's close to 41 million meals. Many families who depend on the food bank yearly also rely on their SNAP benefits to fill their pantries. 'Snap benefits stretch much, much further than the meals that you get,' East Texas Food Bank chief impact officer Kim Morris said. Recently, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee voted on its portion of a bill that includes $230 billion in spending cuts. One of those proposals would make cuts to SNAP benefits, and changes to qualification requirements. Something U.S. Congressman Nathaniel Moran from East Texas supports. 'We've got able-bodied people that are not working, not trying to get off of government subsistence, but could do so if incentivized to do so,' Rep. Nathaniel Moran said. The bill would increase age requirements for 'Able-bodied adults' without children and close some loopholes for work requirement waivers. 'Require each state to pay anywhere from 5 to 25% of the food benefits, so currently, the federal government is paying 100% of its food benefits,' Emerson said. He said the administration cost would also increase from 50% to 75%. 'That is an additional $87 million per year based on last year's numbers that Texas would have to pick up,' Emerson said. Congressman Moran believes these changes to SNAP would be beneficial for Americans overall. 'If we don't do anything this year, the average American $100,000 for individuals and their family, they're going to have a tax bill of close to $670,000 next year,' Rep. Moran said. Adding the average family's tax bill could shrink to three hundred thousand dollars, but the East Texas Food Bank believes the need for assistance will go up, causing a shift in how they operate. 'We may have to feed them differently, and we may have to feed them without some of the federal support that we've had in the past, right, but we will continue to be here and provide for that, and we will rely more heavily on the generosity of the communities to make that happen,' Emerson said. The food bank is urging Congress to 'ensure no one is forced to choose between food and other basic needs'. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Healey: Mass. can't afford federal food aid cost shift
BOSTON (SHNS) – A U.S. House Republican proposal to trim food aid could increase the Massachusetts share of the program's costs by hundreds of millions of dollars per year, Gov. Maura Healey warned members of Congress in a letter her office publicized Thursday. Healey wrote to leaders of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee contending that potential changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program would shift 'significant costs to states that they did not plan for and cannot afford.' Depending upon the share of spending offloaded to states, Healey wrote that the proposal could cost Massachusetts between $185 million and $710 million per year, calling even the lower estimate 'an exorbitant burden.' 'These proposed changes would create an impossible situation for our most vulnerable families and residents. SNAP supports more than one million Massachusetts residents, one third of whom are elderly, one quarter of them are children, and a quarter of those who receive SNAP in our state have a disability,' Healey wrote. 'They receive a modest benefit, which averages about $10.70 per day per household. Beyond the direct benefits to families, SNAP is essential to the state's economy. Every dollar in SNAP benefits generates up to $1.50 in local economic activity, supporting thousands of Massachusetts jobs across many different industries, including farmers, grocers, manufacturers, delivery drivers, and other positions throughout the food supply chain.' The U.S. House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday advanced a bill that could cut up to $300 billion in federal spending on SNAP. Republicans in Congress are working to craft a massive domestic policy bill that would slash government spending in many areas in part to pay for extension of tax cuts President Donald Trump signed in his first term, which are set to expire at the end of the year. MassHealth estimated that another portion of the package that moved through the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee could result in Massachusetts losing more than $1 billion annually. The potential loss of significant federal revenues may soon force Beacon Hill Democrats to reassess spending priorities and choose whether to come up with revenue to salvage programs, perhaps through new taxes or the use of rainy day reserves. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SNAP cuts proposal endangers Texoma food security
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Proposed snap cuts could increase food insecurity in Texoma after recent changes were made to the U.S. House Agriculture Committee's reconciliation bill. The bill includes changes such as stricter benefits requirements, making refugees ineligible for SNAP, and mandating state payments of 5 to 25 percent for SNAP benefit amounts, which hurts the program's ability to meet increased need during natural disasters and economic crises. Construction projects in Wichita Falls to boost economy These measures would result in a decrease in benefit levels, fewer people eligible for food assistance and a significant reduction in the number of people participating in the program. Wichita Falls Area Food Bank CEO David O'Neil said the SNAP cuts directly hurt the children and families on fixed incomes who are already struggling with hunger in our food bank's 12-county area. 'Out of almost 200 food banks, the Wichita Falls area food bank has the 15th highest hunger rate or food insecurity rate in the entire country. So we're at a point where it's already difficult for many, many of our neighbors to seek assistance and get help,' O'Neil said. 'But the change and the bill that's being presented, through the budget reconciliation, is going to make it even more difficult for our neighbors to be able to find food.' According to the Urban Institute, the SNAP cost-sharing plan could push nearly 900,000 additional people into poverty during a recession. The Feeding Texas Network is calling on members of the House Agriculture Committee and all members of the US House to reject these proposed snap cuts, which include the state cost-share plan. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Riley launches Upstate Agriculture Advisory Board
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Congressman Josh Riley is continuing to support Upstate New York farmers as he forms a committee focused on agricultural success. On Friday, Riley announced the launch of the Upstate Agriculture Advisory Board. The committee, which is made up of farmers, producers, elected officials, and local stakeholders, aims to provide advice, recommendations, and input for Riley's work on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. There are 18 members on the board including Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo. The committee held its first meeting on February 20 to discuss the needs, priorities, and current economic conditions for growers and producers across Upstate New York. 'For too long, DC politicians have ignored the voices of the hard-working farmers who put food on our tables and drive our economy,' said Riley. 'I'm proud to launch the Upstate Agriculture Advisory Board so our community—not just the Big Ag monopolies—are heard and have a seat at the table.' Congressman Riley is one of just two New Yorkers on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, which writes a Farm Bill every five years. This legislation allocates vital funding for crop insurance, conservation initiatives, rural development, and food assistance programs like SNAP. Riley says that through his Upstate Agricultural Advisory Board, he will ensure that the priorities of Upstate farms are front and center in the FY2025 Farm Bill. Riley launches Upstate Agriculture Advisory Board Rolled-over tractor-trailers, other weather-related accidents in Cortland County Friday Support for Binghamton Firefighter's family continues to pour in Sick of winter? Spring weather predictions released by NOAA Co-owner of Pete's Legacy Diner passes away at age 64 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
