The farm bill is a major piece of legislation that reauthorizes many agriculture and nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). With the current farm bill set to expire on September 30, 2018, Congress is considering policy changes that could affect millions of individuals and families that rely on SNAP to put food on the table. As our nation’s largest nutrition program, SNAP lifts millions of people out poverty, boosts local economies, and effectively reaches some of the most vulnerable people in our nation. Protecting SNAP is crucial to ensure that short- and long-term health, education, and employment outcomes for children and families are protected.
Here you will find a collection of CLASP’s materials on the 2018 Farm Bill.
For more than two years, the Trump Administration has tried to use regulations and waivers as a backdoor strategy to reduce access to basic needs programs that help families thrive. As threats mount, the notice-and-comment process is gaining traction as an important part of public…
Recently, after months of stalemate, the U.S. House and Senate have reached a 2018 farm bill agreement that not only protects SNAP, but also rejects the House-passed bill to take away food assistance from people through cuts and stricter work requirements.
Elizabeth Lower-Basch was quoted in this article about the harmful effects of proposed changes to SNAP: "Already disadvantaged by low wages and unpredictable hours, people working in part-time jobs in industries such as fast food, hospitality, and retail could be devastated."
This op-ed from The Hill explains why the Senate farm bill protects SNAP and the House version doesn't. It was written by CLASP's Olivia Golden and Elizabeth Lower-Basch.
The Senate has passed a bipartisan farm bill that would protect food assistance for low-income families. Olivia Golden expresses CLASP's support in this press statement.
On June 21, the House passed a farm bill that could take away food from millions of people. It would undercut SNAP, create extra paperwork, and add ineffective work requirements.
The Senate's bipartisan farm bill would strengthen SNAP, ensuring millions of people are able to put food on the table and access pathways to good jobs. This is a stark contrast from the House farm bill, which would rip away SNAP from people in need.
The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a farm bill that would immediately take food off the table of hundreds of thousands of working families. Even more troubling is that the House farm bill’s already-harmful nutrition title was made worse during the floor vote through the…
On June 8, 2018, Senators Roberts and Stabenow introduced the Agriculture Improvement Act, also known as the 2018 farm bill. Unlike the House bill, the Senate version protects SNAP for millions of Americans.