The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill yesterday that would cut $39 billion over 10 years from food stamps that sets up a battle with the Senate, which passed a proposal in June that contained far smaller cuts. The House vote was 217-210 with no Democrats and 15 Republicans voting against the legislation. The Senate has called for a cut of about $4 billion from the food stamps program officially known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP). Approximately 48 million Americans received food-stamp benefits last year.
The House 109-page bill was crafted by a working group led by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), who embraced a strategy this summer to split apart the farm bill to consider funding for food stamps separately from agricultural policy in the larger farm bill. The House bill would cut overall SNAP spending by slightly more than 5 percent over the next decade.
About half of the bill’s $39 billion in savings comes from reinstating limits for many able-bodied, childless adults aged 18 to 50. Under current federal law, those able-bodied adults can collect limited benefits-up to three months over a three-year period, but they must work at least 20 hours per week or be in a job-training program. Currently, the vast majority of states have qualified for waivers on those limits. The House bill restricts the number of waivers available to states. The measure also rolled back automatic eligibility programs, resulting in $11.6 billion in cuts.
The bill, however, does not contain language to merge the nutrition bill with the farm-program-only bill passed earlier this summer. Therefore, the House must vote on another rule to merge the two bills and request a conference with the Senate. This could set up another battle over whether the farm bill and nutrition bill should now be combined. But, Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, did urge his fellow members to vote for the bill and to move it on to conference, where differences can be worked out.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said “as I understand it, the Senate probably will have to reappoint conferees. When they ask for a conference, we will appoint our conferees as well, and the sooner the better.” However, House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson (D-MN) told reporters that he did not think conferees will be appointed until October.
If the House and Senate cannot reach agreement, many nutrition programs would likely continue at current spending levels under other bills aimed at keeping federal agencies funded into the new fiscal year, which starts on October 1. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a short-term measure that would fund agencies through mid-December at current levels. The Senate is expected to work on a measure next week.
