The Farm Bill: we know it, we love it, and it is being renegotiated again this year. Every five years the largest piece of agriculture and food security legislation needs to be revised. That means every five years we see the usually bipartisan ag committees come together and work to find resolution over a few of the more fluid programs, and decide where other programs need revamping.
And just like every five years, a few partisan disagreements occur. Usually these pertain to the Farm Safety Net Programs or, as is the case again this year, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Earlier this month South Dakota Republican House Member at Large Dusty Johnson voiced his concerns over how the SNAP program was being used, by introducing the America Works Act. According to the press release, Johnson?s Office stated:
?Currently, 18 states utilize waivers to exempt individuals from work requirements. Unfortunately, many states abuse these waivers and ignore work requirements for [Able Bodied Adults Without Disabilities] ABAWDs. Johnson?s bill would close the loophole allowing those waivers. According to data prior to the pandemic, 1.36 million ABAWD households reported zero dollars in gross income ? meaning they did not work at all.
?Work is the best pathway out of poverty,? said Johnson. ?Work requirements have proven to be effective, and people who can work should work. With more than 11 million open jobs, there are plenty of opportunities for SNAP recipients to escape poverty and build a better life.?
As expected, Democrats were quick to denounce the legislation as ?too extreme.? House Ag Committee Ranking Member David Scott of Georgia recently stated that these petitions and efforts to change SNAP are nothing new.
Scott added that the current work requirements are strict enough.
Rep Johnson defended his bill and comments made by Rep Scott at a recent Ag Committee hearing saying that the AWA is meant to target the abuse of the work requirement waivers not the continued efforts to help those who need it.
This all comes at the same time we have results from a recently released survey conducted by the Farm Bureau which shows many Americans favor the passage of the Farm Bill as a measure of National Security Legislation. AFBF?s Kari Barbic tells us more.
The survey also showed that nine out of ten consumers polled trust the American farmer to produce food and to do the right thing when it comes to being a responsible steward.
