PHI Statement on Passage of Senate Farm Bill

STATEMENT BY MATTHEW MARSOM, VICE PRESIDENT FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND PROGRAMS

“The Public Health Institute warmly welcomes the passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill, by the U.S. Senate on a vote of 86 to 11. We congratulate Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow on their strong leadership to forge agreement on bipartisan legislation that protects the integrity of SNAP and SNAP nutrition education.

“The Farm Bill process now moves to conference where members will need to reconcile differences with HR 2, passed narrowly by the House of Representatives last week.

“HR 2 would result in more than $20 billion in benefit cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps, over 10 years. Proposed program changes would cause more than 1 million low-income households, comprised of about 2 million people, to lose their benefits altogether or have them reduced. Many of those targeted to lose benefits are low-income, working families with children. It would also weaken the integrity of the SNAP nutrition education program and threaten the delivery of services that help low-income families use their SNAP dollars more efficiently and make healthier food choices.

“PHI urges that members of the conference committee reject provisions in the House bill that would cause significant harm to the health and wellbeing of millions of our most vulnerable Americans.”