House Rejects Partisan, Harmful Farm Bill

This statement can be attributed to Olivia Golden, executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, also known as the farm bill. Every Democratic member and 30 Republicans voted down the wrong-headed and cruel legislation.

The House farm bill would have made deep, damaging cuts to our nation’s largest nutrition program: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps). SNAP is a highly effective program, with a track record of efficiently getting food onto the table for millions of households each year and contributing to a strong economy. The House farm bill would have left millions of households, including working families, struggling to feed themselves.

The House farm bill—written by partisans behind closed doors—was meticulously designed to take away people’s SNAP benefits, erecting barriers to assistance and miring states in bureaucracy. Today’s vote reaffirms that tearing down this support doesn’t make sense.

It is possible Republican leadership will push for another vote on the House bill next week. We urge members to remain steadfast and reject this attack on SNAP. At the same time, we encourage the Senate to craft a bipartisan farm bill that works for everyone, including people who rely on SNAP. We look forward to seeing the Senate bill and are hopeful it will protect and strengthen this crucial food assistance program.