Debate over SNAP reforms threatens farm bill as Democrats and Republicans clash

The US Senate has introduced a new US$1.5 trillion farm bill, but changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are sparking debate over threats to affordable nutrition. House Republicans want to cut costs by reducing SNAP funding. At the same time, Senate Democrats advocate for expanded benefits and warn that slashes could be detrimental to millions of vulnerable families, putting the bill’s bipartisan support at risk. 

The bill includes over 100 bipartisan bills to protect access to SNAP, support affordable farming and provide disaster relief. The plan decides how much money farmers get to help with their crops and how much food assistance people get through food stamps, which is the leading cause of the rift.

Because lawmakers couldn’t agree on reforms by the 2023 deadline, the current farm bill, passed in 2018, expired in September this year. However, some programs will continue until the end of the year, but experts worry that without a new bill, they could revert to outdated rules.

Ongoing debates between the Senate and the House could delay the passing of the farm bill, forcing lawmakers to extend the old 2018 plan or risk leaving farmers and SNAP recipients without the support they need. While both chambers support funding farmer programs to stabilize prices, they differ sharply on SNAP reforms.

Proposed updates to Thrifty Food Plan

House Republicans propose limiting future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which sets how much food assistance people get through SNAPs, to curb costs. They argue this would save US$27 billion over the next decade, with some of the savings reinvested in nutrition programs and the rest directed toward export promotion. 

Democrats say this move could make it harder to adjust benefits during food inflation and could cut help for millions, potentially causing the bill to lose support from both parties.

The number of people relying on food assistance has been rising in recent years. “The 2023 estimate remains very high and substantially higher than before the pandemic,” warns new research by Feeding America.

The nonprofit found that in 2023, around 50 million people, including those who rely on SNAP and those who don’t qualify for it, used food banks and other charitable food programs.

House Republicans want to cut costs by reducing SNAP funding.Support for Stabenow

Debbie Stabenow, chair of the Agriculture Committee, introduced the “Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act” to support farmers, families and rural communities. 

The bill focuses on improving food access by expanding SNAP benefits for military families, seniors and college students. It invests in rural areas by improving healthcare, child care, education and infrastructure. 

The bill boosts conservation programs and sustainable farming practices to tackle climate change. It also includes measures to support tribal communities and strengthen food security across the US.

While Democrats are raising concerns about the bill’s impact on SNAP’s long-term sustainability and flexibility, especially if food costs continue to rise, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) are concerned about immediate protections and expansions.

CSPI VP Anupama Joshi praises Senator Stabenow’s farm bill for protecting SNAP, saying it helps more people access benefits, increases their ability to buy fruits and vegetables and improves food choices in stores.

“Taking food away from families by cutting SNAP, as House and Senate Republicans proposed to do in their draft bills, is never the right answer,” she stresses. “Nor should we break climate-smart programs or attack the Dietary Guidelines for Americans or school meals, as the GOP has also proposed.”

“Senator Stabenow’s bill should be included in a final bipartisan package that benefits farmers and consumers and advances food and nutrition security for everyone in the US.”

FRAC’s interim president Crystal FitzSimons applauds Senator Stabenow’s farm bill, commenting: “Protecting and strengthening SNAP is critical to ensuring that the more than 42 million people who struggle against poverty-related hunger in this country can better afford to put food on the table and get the nutrition they need. FRAC is pleased the proposed legislation aligns with many of the anti-hunger community’s SNAP priorities for the farm bill.”

Senate Democrats advocate for expanded benefits and warn that slashes could be detrimental to millions of vulnerable families.She highlights key proposals in the bill aimed at improving SNAP, including repealing the lifetime federal ban for individuals with felony drug convictions, simplifying access for older adults and servicemembers and addressing college hunger. The bill also proposes a transition for Puerto Rico to SNAP and boosts funding for nutrition programs.

Worries about delay 

According to the Center for Budget Policy and Priorities, restricting future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan would result in a nearly US$30 billion cut over ten years.

US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has criticized the House Republican farm bill, citing cuts to nutrition programs and disaster aid.

According to Oklahoma Voice, Vilsack stated: “I appreciate the fact that folks are working hard. I appreciate the fact that they’ve listened to people out there in the countryside.”

“But I’m afraid that what we have is a circumstance where the proposal being advanced by the House of Representatives, the Republican members of the Agriculture Committee, it really is designed not to create a route to passage… I think it’s designed, unfortunately, for a route to impasse, which will cause a further delay.”

Vilsack worries that cutting these programs will hurt families who depend on SNAP and farmers who need help after disasters. He warns that the proposed reductions may undermine the bipartisan support required to pass the bill, making passage more difficult.