The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of 200 national groups, asked U.S. representatives on Monday to vote “no” on the farm bill, saying stricter work requirements for food stamp recipients “would increase food insecurity and hardship” among poor people. “Imposing barriers to food assistance will not incentivize or equip people with what they need to seek and maintain work,” wrote coalition president Vanita Gupta.
Lawmakers could begin floor discussion of the bill as early as Wednesday. The House Rules Committee is scheduled to meet today to discuss the terms for so-called general debate, which often lasts an hour, and to meet on Wednesday to decide which amendments will be considered on the floor. Voting on amendments could begin as early as Thursday.
The bill, written by Agriculture Committee chairman Michael Conaway, would require up to 9 million “work capable” adults to work at least 20 hours a week or spend an equal amount of time in job training or workfare to qualify for food stamps. Participants would have to report their work hours each month and if they did not meet the 20-hour target, they would have to go to job training or workfare to continue to receive SNAP benefits.
“This new administrative burden would create additional challenges and make an already complex system more difficult to navigate for individuals in need of SNAP assistance,” said the Leadership Conference. “Congress should instead combat hunger and food insecurity by protecting and strengthening SNAP in a bipartisan farm bill.”
Conaway says his bill will not force anyone off of food stamps. The Texas Republican is a long-time advocate of stricter work rules for SNAP benefits. The disagreement over work requirements has made the 2018 farm bill the most partisan in years.