Yes, there is life and goings on besides Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan. Also, while it seems the House Republicans have decamped for New York to wear their Trump uniforms and spouts their lies to help Trump get around his gag order, some have remained behind in DC. There are after all poor, working poor and lower middle class people to screw over. In this case doing so by using the re-authorization of the Farm Bill to reduces benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as Food Stamps.
As reported by Reuters the AG Committee under the guidance of Chair Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania released a draft of the proposed new Farm Bill last Friday. According to Reuters it calls for a $27B reduction in benefits over 10 years according to a committee aide. Not only that, the NOT-good GOPers on the committee added in a provision that would cut as much as $14.4B that would go to climate friendly farming practices provided for by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. But let’s concentrate on SNAP which has proven to be the most effective anti-hunger program we’ve had.
Admittedly there’s a couple of okay things, such as allowing benefits to rise with inflation, and allowing people with past felony drug offenses eligibility for the program. How much to you want to bet there are details and/or loopholes in that second part that will prevent that from happening? Well, Thompson has scheduled his committee to take up the bill for a vote on the 23rd, as in this Thursday. In the meantime over in the Senate Democrats have a different Farm Bill in mind. According to Reuters Senator Stabenow has called the House proposal a “non starter” and the WH has also pledged to protect some SNAP provisions I’d like you to be aware of.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) released a statement yesterday criticizing the House proposal. They cite a $30B cut instead of $27B so we’ll have to see what the actual number is come Thursday. That’s not the point however. What matters is that CPBB states that modest improvements get overshadowed by other changes the House AG Committee wants to make. I urge you (please!) to check out the link to the CBPP statement but the heart of the matters is that what House Republicans want to do will make it increasingly more difficult over time for those relying on SNAP benefits to have a healthy diet.
I don’t have to tell anyone reading this that food has gotten more expensive. A lot of price gouging went on when COVID happened and while corporate Agribusiness has done quite well for itself for decades grocery stores/chains long operated on relatively thin margins. It was always so, at least during my lifetime. The pandemic gave a lot of businesses, especially those at the retail level to jack up prices well above already increased costs. People including me bitched and moaned about inflation and were justified in doing so. However, what never broke through to the public was the administration pointing out that ACTUAL prices in the supply chain justified an increase of roughly four percent. At least half of what we were actually paying!
When it comes to food, well we all have to eat. The stores where we buy our food (and the chains that own them) took advantage of the pandemic like everyone else. People could put off a lot of purchases but they HAD to buy food every week. So they padded their income because people had no choice but to pay. Also, they got used to that extra money they were gouging and aren’t about to give it up without a helluva fight.
At the same time, the plain fact is it costs more to eat healthy. Fresh veggies, non-processed meat, poultry and fish cost more. I’m not talking about organic food that has always cost extra, just regular non-processed healthier food. Anyone who has been low income and relied on SNAP benefits and other nutrition assistance programs can vouch for that fact. Stretching available food dollars all too often means settling for if not junky food then cheap, less nutritional stuff. Trust me when I tell you there’s a difference between cheaper food that at least relieves hunger and healthy food that fills you up AND makes you… well, healthier.
Science in the area of nutrition has provided much more information on ways people can shop for healthier food and cook and eat healthier meals. It’s also worth keeping in mind healthier people don’t wind up eating up so much of the resources in the medical care system! Think of eating healthier have a bonus of not having to spend as much money on doctor visits. You don’t get sick as often!
As the CBPP statement makes clear what the House bill proposes targets money that would help low income people/families that rely on SNAP learn to pick healthier food, and be a bit better able to afford it. It makes all the sense in the world. At least to me. It helps people. People who need a little extra help.
Of course, to GOPers the problem is this helps who they consider to be the wrong people. Working class, working poor and poor people, or disable people and/or retirees on fixed incomes aren’t worthy in the eyes of Republicans. By god they have tax cuts they need to give to rich people! And they have to pay lip service to concepts like the deficit and the National Debt. THIS is how they go about it.
Well, you know what I’m going to say next. Contact your Congress Critters in both the House and Senate. And not just your own. Especially hammer Republicans. The more pressure they get on MORE issues the more they will start to worry that voters are paying attention. What scares them as much as a nasty blast from Trump is constituents who are informed. A message on an issue like this that says It’s about more than giving low income people a break. If they are able to eat nutritious food they won’t get sick as often, and will save the system on health care costs too. In other words when you register an objection to this policy make it about more than calling them uncaring, cold-hearted UN-Christian azzholes (which they are), but rather make them realize you know what the hell you’re talking about. And the health care cost part gives them an “out” to say no to the proposed changes in the pending House Agriculture reauthorization.
Informed activism beats plain old activism every time.
