On Wednesday, July 11th, the House of Representatives will commence debating and voting on their version of the 2012 Farm Bill.
You might ask yourself, “didn’t Congress pass some draft of the Farm Bill already?” Technically, the Senate voted 64-35 in favor of a 2012 Farm Bill that would cut farm and nutrition funding by $23.1 billion. Yet, the House will now debate and vote on their version of a 2012 Farm Bill; one that cuts the same funding by $35.1 billion.
So how different is the House’s version of the Bill?
According to findings from Feeding America, the House could cut an additional $11.5 billion in SNAP funds, citing the need to “close loopholes in administration.” This would follow alongside cuts to nutrition education and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Programs.
As studies have shown 1 in 6 Americans to be food insecure, this would be the worst time arguably to slash SNAP funds. Feeding America and its partners are hosting a National Call-In Day tomorrow, Tuesday, July 10th, to address concerns to Congress.
The Capital Area Food Bank encourages everyone to call their House Representative and ask he or she to protect SNAP from funding cuts in the future Farm Bill. As Ross Fraser, Feeding America’s director of media relations, states below, “It’s absolutely vital for the health, welfare and well-being of our nation that we continue strong funding of all federal nutrition programs.”