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SNAP cuts would alter potential farm bill negotiations

A member of the U.S. House Ag Committee says any cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, likely alter negotiations around a new farm bill.

Illinois Democratic Representative Nikki Budzinski says Republican efforts of reconciling the budget threaten those in the most need.

“This potential for this $283 billion of cuts to SNAP, the Republicans are looking at these as pay for’s for their tax cuts,” she says.

She told an agricultural roundtable Wednesday those types of cuts change the landscape of farm bill negotiations.

“It is typically also a bipartisan bill.”  She says, “We usually negotiate with our Republican colleagues on this, but if out of the gate, they’re going to cut out $283 billion of SNAP, it’s going to make negotiating a bipartisan farm bill really challenging.”

Budzinski says farmers need the certainty of an updated farm safety net.

The latest farm bill extension expires at the end of September.