House and Senate negotiators proposed a record $154 billion for SNAP this fiscal year in the government funding bill unveiled on Tuesday, an increase of nearly 10 percent from last year. The increase would provide the larger benefits generated by the Biden administration’s update of the cost of a healthy diet and emergency allotments enacted as a response to the pandemic.
The $1.7 trillion package to fund the government through Sept. 30 also included $40 million for the Summer EBT program, created during the pandemic to help low-income families buy food for school-age children during the summer. Funding would be $5 million lower than last year.
An additional $455 million would be devoted to expansion of high-speed internet serve in rural America, including $348 million for USDA’s ReConnect program. “This is in addition to the $2 billion provided in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said a House Appropriations Committee summary. Agricultural research would receive $3.45 billion, an increase of $175 million from last year.
Funding for the government would expire on Friday unless Congress acts. “The choice is clear,” said Senate Appropriations chairman Patrick Leahy. “Passing this bipartisan, bicameral, omnibus appropriations bill is undoubtedly in the interest of the American people.”
More than 43 million people were expected to receive SNAP benefits this fiscal year. Food stamps could cost more than $1 trillion over the coming decade. Passage of the 2014 and 2018 farm bills was delayed by attempts by conservatives to slash SNAP spending.
Republicans on the House and Senate Agriculture committees have accused the administration of engineering a backdoor increase in food stamp benefits this year with its update of the Thrifty Food Plan, unveiled in August. It was the first time the purchasing power of the plan was changed since 1976. The 2018 farm bill directed USDA to perform the update but previous adjustments were cost-neutral.
A summary of funding for USDA, FDA and related agencies is available here.
A one-page fact sheet about USDA and FDA funding is available here.
An “explanatory statement” about USDA and FDA funding is available here.