The budget package expected next week from Senate Republicans would convert the food-stamp program into something “similar to a block grant,” says the Wall Street Journal, based on interviews with lawmakers and aides. “That approach would call for the federal government to pay states a lump sum, instead of a percentage of the program’s costs. States would have more control over the program and would be responsible for footing the rest of the bill.” The same technique would be applied to Medicaid.
For the past couple of years, House Republicans have voted to convert food stamps into a block grant. The change would have occurred in 2019 and was estimated to save $125 billion over a decade. The Journal quoted Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Pat Roberts as saying, “The governors would love the money but they don’t want to be in charge of food stamps.” Anti-hunger groups opposed the block-grant idea in the past.
“According to the Capitol Hill rumor mill, there is a strong possibility that the draft budget resolutions … may include directions to the Agriculture Committees to cut farm program spending by a designated amount,” said the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. A broad coalition of farm, conservation, anti-hunger and rural development groups asked congressional budget leaders to forgo cuts to the USDA this year because the 2014 farm law included $23 billion in reductions. “That farm bill coalition will likely mobilize in opposition to any moves by the Budget Committees to re-open the farm bill,” said NSAC.
Crop insurance also would be a target for cuts if lawmakers re-open the 2014 farm law.