House Republican Farm Bill Proposal Launches a Dangerous Attack on Nutrition Assistance

The following article by Rachel West and Eliza Schultz was posted on the Center for American Progress website April 13, 2018:

U.S. Capitol. Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Yesterday, House Republicans released a draft of the 2018 Farm Bill, opening up another front on their ongoing attack on struggling Americans’ access to food assistance. The Farm Bill, which Congress must reauthorize by the fall, funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helped 41 millionAmericans put food on their tables in January and protected an estimated 8.4 million Americans from poverty in 2015. More than $8 in $10 in SNAP benefits go to households that include a child, a senior, or person with a disability. The program also helps make groceries affordable for workers who face low wages, shifting schedules, underemployment, and unstable incomes. These benefits don’t just mitigate hardship today; they also have significant positive effects on children’s health, educational attainment, and employment outcomes in the long-term. Continue reading “House Republican Farm Bill Proposal Launches a Dangerous Attack on Nutrition Assistance”