The House Agriculture Committee voted along party lines 29-25 to advance legislation that would cut as much as $300 billion in food aid spending to pay for Republicans’ domestic policy megabill and some farm bill programs.
Politico says the vote sends the measure to the House Budget Committee for consideration before a full floor vote on the bill in the chamber.
“The GOP proposal would create the largest overhaul in decades to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by forcing states to share the cost of SNAP benefits,” Politico said.
Republicans exceeded the Ways and Means Committee’s target of $230 billion in spending cuts to get enough room to include a $60 billion farm bill package in the megabill, a critical incentive for passing the legislation. Under the bill, the individual limit for commodity program payments would rise, as would funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program.
Democrats responded negatively to House Republicans advancing their budget to slash Medicaid and food assistance through markup.
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said Donald Trump’s Republican Party turned its back on working families to “suck up” to billionaire donors.
“House Republicans voted to push forward Trump’s plan to rip away health care from 13.7 million Americans and slash $300 billion in food assistance benefits,” said Martin, ”just to fund handouts for the ultra-wealthy.”
Democrats also issued a message to House Republicans, saying, “Start working for your constituents or lose your seat in the midterm elections.”
The Hill said the committee voted along party lines after a marathon meeting lasting more than 26 hours with just two breaks for House votes. The Congressional Budget Office says at least 13.7 million Americans would lose health coverage and become uninsured because of the Medicaid cuts and ACA market restrictions in the legislation.
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