As House and Senate negotiators were reportedly nearing a deal on the farm bill, some 400 Quakers and friends lobbied hard to ensure that the final bill includes strong protections for SNAP (food stamps). They were in Washington, DC, for FCNL’s Annual Meeting and Quaker Public Policy Institute, Nov. 29 to Dec. 2, 2018.
The FCNL participants visited nearly 200 Congressional offices to ask staff and members of Congress, to pass a farm bill that includes the Senate’s provisions for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The farm bill is the largest source of food assistance for millions of struggling American families.
According to Bread for the World researchers, the federal government provides 20 times the nutrition assistance than what all the private charities and congregations in the U.S. can give. The largest source of federal nutrition assistance – primarily the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps) — comes through the farm bill.
The researchers conclude that if SNAP were to be cut in the amounts that legislators have previously proposed, churches, congregations, and private charities would not be able to make up the difference.
For millions of American families, SNAP is the everyday difference between being able to put food on the table or not. In 2017, it was credited with preventing 3.4 million people from falling into poverty.
The farm bill, which sets our country’s food and farm policy, is one of the largest pieces of legislation currently in the lame-duck session of the waning days of the 115th Congress. Its reach is vast, ranging from commodities, crop insurance, conservation, trade and international food aid, agricultural research, forestry, and nutrition.
It impacts rural communities, urban cities, reservations, and every place in between. The farm bill nearly always passes in Congress with significant bipartisan support. Divisions often rest along regional lines rather than partisan ones.
Through the years, SNAP has proved to be America’s most effective anti-hunger program. This program makes up 80 percent of the funding for the farm bill. It is critical in helping more than 40 million Americans put food on the table, especially when they need it most.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. saw severe hunger and malnutrition as in parts of the developing world. Today, that has largely disappeared because of SNAP and its predecessor, the food stamp program. However, hunger and food insecurity persist in America, an unconscionable tragedy in the world’s richest nation.
SNAP’s benefits go beyond preventing hunger. Studies show that children in households receiving SNAP are healthier, do better in school, and make more money as adults. In an era of stagnant wages, SNAP increasingly helps working families make ends meet.
SNAP recipients receive benefits electronically every month on an EBT card. It looks and acts like a debit card. The average SNAP benefit is $1.40 per person per meal. Still, the vast network of private charities, food banks, and church soup kitchens cannot compare to the resources provided by the federal government.
Contrary to public perception, SNAP already penalizes people who are not working by limiting the time they can avail themselves of the benefits. Today, most able-bodied adults without dependent children are limited to three months of SNAP over a three-year period if they aren’t working at least 20 hours per week (or in a qualified job training or education program). It doesn’t matter if the person is looking for a job, desperately wants to work, or can’t access training programs. The three-month time limit still applies.
Certain populations, such as individuals with criminal records and Native Americans, are disproportionately affected by the time limits because of discrimination and lack of available employment opportunities. In areas with particularly high unemployment, states can request the Department of Agriculture to temporarily waive this three-month time limit. Since the limits were established in 1996, every state except Delaware has waived these time limits at some point.
As the farm bill is being negotiated, there has also been a growing number of proposals to take away essential benefits from people who are struggling with poverty and unemployment. These proposals are popping up in administrative rulemaking, state legislatures, and in other federal programs. Unlike the Senate version, the House farm bill would eliminate or reduce SNAP benefits for 2 million people. Among other things, the bill severely limits states’ ability to waive the harsh time limit.
We know we can end food insecurity, but not by taking food away from people who need it most. It will not help them get a job. Instead, we need to address barriers to employment. This requires investments in things like affordable quality childcare, access to affordable transportation, skills development, and job training. People need predictable work hours, so they can arrange their schedules and care-giving responsibilities.
We believe everyone should be able to live with dignity. No one should go to bed hungry or wonder where their next meal will come from. Our faith and the scriptures are ripe with the importance of caring for our neighbors, feeding the hungry, and pursuing a community where every person’s potential may be fulfilled.
