Food Research and Action Center Expresses Disappointment with Senate Farm Bill Cutting SNAP Benefits

Statement attributable to FRAC President Jim Weill

 Contact: Jennifer Adach, 202.986.2200 x3018

Washington, D.C. – June 11, 2013 – The Farm Bill passed yesterday by the Senate contains a $4.1 billion cut to SNAP that will harm large numbers of struggling families. That provision limits the ability of states to operate “Heat and Eat” policies, and will trigger sizable reductions in monthly SNAP benefits for many households, as well as increasing state administrative burdens. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), an estimated 500,000 households a year will lose $90 per month in SNAP benefits.

The cuts being proposed by the House are even more outrageous, building on the Senate bill by adding another cut that would remove two million people from the program altogether and cause more than 200,000 low-income children to lose access to school meals.

We appreciate that the Senate rejected – in Committee and on the floor – several amendments that would have made the situation far worse.

We applaud those in the Senate who fought off larger cuts, as well as those Senators who voted to restore the $4.1 billion cut.

As the Farm Bill moves through the rest of the process, FRAC will work to produce a final bill that contains no SNAP cuts and that preserves the strong structure of the program.

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