More than 1,400 groups said in a letter to Congress on Tuesday that they “will oppose any farm bill,” including the bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee in May, “which proposes cuts in SNAP, including restricting future Thrifty Food Plan benefit adjustments.” Progress on the legislation has been deadlocked for weeks over disagreements on SNAP cuts, climate funding, and higher crop subsidy spending.
Congressional Republicans, angered by a Biden administration increase in SNAP benefits in 2021, want future reviews of the Thrifty Food Plan, the foundation for SNAP benefits, to be cost-neutral. The provision would reduce spending by $30 billion over 10 years, according the the CBO.
SNAP should be “protected and strengthened” in the farm bill, said the letter, signed by dozens of religious, education, union, environmental, and anti-hunger groups with national memberships and hundreds of state and local groups. “During a time of sharply increased costs at grocery stores and other living expenses, it is ill-advised to weaken SNAP,” said the letter.
Also on Tuesday, the Food Research & Action Center, which hosted a video news conference to publicize the letter, said Crystal FitzSimmons would be its interim president. FitzSimmons has led FRAC’s child nutrition work for 16 years.