House Republicans are preparing a bill that will cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, by an estimated five percent that will yield close to $40 million in savings over a ten-year period, according to the Associated Press.
The bill is being pushed by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., who is responsible for separating the SNAP bill and the farm bill breaking with long-standing tradition. In order to cut substantial cost from the program Cantor appears to be targeting able-bodied beneficiaries under the age of 50 without dependents, according to Politico.
Due to the poor economy the number of able-bodied beneficiaries has skyrocketed and states have waived a 20-hour-a-week work requirement to receive assistance. By bringing back the work requirement millions of SNAP users will lose their assistance if they cannot find employment within three months, according to Politico.
Democrats strongly oppose the cuts that would take food assistance away from millions of Americans who are already struggling because of the sluggish economy. The Democratically controlled Senate will most likely stall the bill if it makes it that far, according to the Associated Press.
"This mean-spirited plan to slash nutrition programs is not the way forward," Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, said in a statement. "Instead, it's a blueprint to more suffering for vulnerable Americans that has little chance of securing significant bipartisan support in the House of the Senate."
Reps. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., and Kristi Noem, R-N.D., plan on reducing SNAP's cost not only by adding work requirement rules but also by attempting to have drug testing required for assistance and by banning convicted murders and sex offenders from the program, according to the Associated Press.
"Most people will agree that if you are an able bodied adult without any kids you should find your way off food stamps," Stutzman said. "I don't think we will find much disagreement on this."
Some legislators are afraid that the House bill will go nowhere in the Senate and that a compromise is highly unlikely to be found and neither a nutrition bill nor a farm bill will be passed. If a new farm bill isn't approved by the time it expires in September certain programs will expire. For example, milk prices will basically double without certain subsidies, according to the Associated Press.
"You will have to ask them what the h**l they think they are up to but this is not going to help," Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said. "I don't see how we get a farm bill at the end of the day. I don't know what they are trying to do here other than placate the Wall Street Journal and the Club for Growth and Heritage. I'll guarantee you this is going to make no difference to the United States Senate, they are not going anywhere near close to it."
