In an interview with the Food Research and Action Center on Thursday, Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, a longtime champion of nutrition programs and a farm bill conferee, urged his colleagues not to support the House bill’s language around nutrition programs. “It is vital that we stand strong and that we side with the Senate … with regard to their language in the nutrition title,” he said.
McGovern called the House version of the farm bill “cruel” and “unconscionable” for its increased work requirements for participants in the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The Senate and House bills are starkly opposed on the issue of whether an estimated 7 million “work-capable” adults should be required to work 20 hours per week in order to qualify for SNAP benefits.
He will join 46 other representatives and nine senators in the process of reconciling the Senate and House versions of the farm bill, in what is expected to be a contentious negotiation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hopes to bring a reconciled version of the farm bill to President Trump by early September.
McGovern urged his colleagues not to compromise on SNAP. “There are other parts of the farm bill that we can negotiate,” he said. “But when it comes to SNAP, there is no negotiation. Period.” He added that “no farm bill is better than a lousy farm bill.”
He encouraged those invested in an “anti-hunger social safety net” to call and visit with their members of Congress while many are in their home districts on recess through Labor Day. “People should be engaged, people should be worked up, people should be angry if their members of Congress are indifferent,” he said. “If this isn’t important, then I don’t know what the hell is.”
President Trump weighed in on the issue of work requirements via Twitter on Thursday afternoon: “When the House and Senate meet on the very important Farm Bill — we love our farmers — hopefully they will be able to leave the WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR FOOD STAMPS PROVISION that the House approved.” In April, the administration released an executive order demanding that eight federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, assess whether their public assistance programs have ample work requirements.