SNAP Remains Sticking Point As Reconciliation Clears House

The Trump reconciliation budget the House passed by one vote along party lines this week did nothing to reconcile the stark policy differences between the two parties over the importance of SNAP versus farmers.  Nothing could have made it clearer about the parties’ divergent priorities than an exchange in the Rules Committee between Rules and Ag Republican Austin Scott and top Ag Democrat Angie Craig.

“SNAP covers 45 million Americans, the farm program covers about one million Americans,” Craig said.

“Yes, ma’am, and those one million Americans supply 100% of the food for the American citizens,” Scott stressed

“And your cuts to SNAP," Craig interrupted. 

“This is my time, you can wait, I’m going to come to you, but without the one million farmers in this country, there’s no food for the people who have SNAP benefits to buy,” Scott said.

USDA’s latest census shows nearly 3.5 million farmers and workers making decisions on two million farms.  But the House reconciliation Farm Bill, like most farm bills, is heavily weighted toward SNAP

“82% of Farm Bill spending now goes to SNAP benefits.  And while the Democrats say they want to work in a bipartisan manner and pass a farm bill, they demand that 82% of Farm Bill spending must go to SNAP benefits, which means that production agriculture is going to end up with less than 10%.” 

The Senate is expected to make changes to the House bill, possibly on SNAP, Medicaid, and deficit savings, forcing the president’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ back to the House for another showdown.

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