Paul Ryan Is Holding the Farm Bill Hostage Over Food Stamps (7.25.2018)

[Equinox Moon]

The farm bill—once-every-five-years mega-legislation that shapes US agriculture and hunger policy—is back on the legislative agenda. The House and Senate are jockeying for position as they prepare to reconcile their two versions, with the hope of sending a finished bill to the president’s desk before the previous bill expires on September 30.

In June, the US House narrowly passed its version, (margin: 213-211), which essentially preserved the previous bill’s status quo except for two big things: It would add onerous work requirements for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Program or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, and it would cut a key conservation program that encourages farmers to take measures that build soil and reduce chemical runoff.

President Donald Trump hailed the work requirements, signaling that he’d love to sign the bill into law.

https://www.motherjones.com/food/2018/07/paul-ryan-is-holding-the-farm-bill-hostage-over-food-stamps/

[appalachiablue]

1. Threaten to punish the vulnerable in need..

[dflprincess]

4. The "Nuns on the Bus" need to go after him again

and remind him that one of the Acts of Mercy is feeding the hungry.

Not that he'll change his tune, but a group of angry nuns following someone around trying to shame usually gets some media attention and might persuade some others to vote for the bill lest the nuns come after them.

[appalachiablue]

6. Lately I was thinking of Nuns on the Bus, they're terrific & should

get on him about helping and feeding the needy which is essential to Christian 'values.'

[House of Roberts]

2. So, if you're already working,

how many hours a week do you have to add to your schedule to stay eligible?

[2naSalit]

3. all the rest of them...

and if you have kids, 65% of their time as well.

[Arkansas Granny]

5. Most Working-Age SNAP Participants Work, But Often in Unstable Jobs

SNAP (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) helps millions of Americans put food on the table each month. While two-thirds of participants are children, elderly, and people with disabilities, who are not expected to work, SNAP also helps workers, both to supplement low wages and support them when they are between jobs.

Millions of workers are in jobs that provide low pay, can have shifting schedules, and often lack key benefits such as paid sick leave. These features can contribute to income volatility and job turnover: low-wage workers, including many who participate in SNAP, are more likely than other workers to experience periods when they are out of work or when their monthly earnings drop, at least temporarily. These dynamics lead many adults to participate in SNAP temporarily, often while between jobs or when their work hours are cut. Others, such as workers with steady, but low-paying, jobs, or those unable to work, participate on a longer-term basis. SNAP’s dual function as both a short-term support to help families afford food during a temporary period of low income and a support for others with longer-term needs is one of its principal strengths.
<snip>
Over half of individuals who were participating in SNAP in a typical month in mid-2012 were working in that month. Furthermore, 74 percent worked in the year before or after that month (in the 25-month period). Rates were even higher when work among other household members is counted: 81 percent of SNAP households with a non-disabled adult, and 87 percent of households with children and a non-disabled adult, included at least one member who worked in this 25-month period.
https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/most-working-age-snap-participants-work-but-often-in-unstable-jobs

This bill sounds like window dressing to me. They are trying to "solve" an almost non existent problem.