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Additional work requirements under SNAP remain House farm bill’s biggest obstacle

Proposed additional work requirements for SNAP program participants have the two political parties lined up for a farm bill fight in the House.

House Ag Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson says he will not give legitimacy to the process that led to this House bill.  “The Chairman said that we tried to work on a bipartisan basis, which, you know, we didn’t raise any issues at the time because he said he didn’t have any money and we were going along with the system, and that’s until we got into the situation with this SNAP stuff came forward, you know, and I told you this not going to fly in our caucus and you can see over here the feelings you engendered with this proposal.”

 

Ag Committee Chairman Michael Conaway says Democrats chose not to negotiate on SNAP work requirements but asks why.  “We’ve got a legislative history of all of our colleagues on the other side talking about how important it is for job training, for education, for getting folks the skills and tools they need to be able to have meaningful work…just not these.”

Conaway says no one has to work to receive food stamps in California because of a waiver, which makes no sense to him.

With debate back underway today, Conaway hopes to defeat what he called “poison pill” amendments that would damage the safety net programs farmers need.