Posted September 20th, 2013 at 6:27 AM by Donna Martinez
On Thursday the U.S. House voted to reform the nation’s food stamp program, formally known as SNAP. The vote was 217 to 210. The Hill reports no Democrats voted for the reform, and a few Republicans voted against the reform — among them, North Carolina’s 3rd District Congressman Walter Jones. From The Hill:
Republicans stressed that the bill is needed to stop runaway spending in the food stamp program, which has roughly doubled under the Obama administration. They also said the bill is focused on reducing payments to able-bodied adults and focusing payments on more needy populations.
“There’s no denying that SNAP provides important support for many Americans who are struggling,” said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.). “It serves a noble purpose to help you when you hit bottom. But it’s not meant to keep you at the bottom.”
Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina’s 5th District released a statement that detailed the legislation. She voted for the bill.
- Reforms SNAP for the first time since the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, saving roughly $40 billion over a decade.
- Eliminates the “Categorical Eligibility” loophole to ensure existing benefit asset and income tests are met.
- Eliminates the ability for states to waive work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents. States will still be allowed to exempt from work requirements up to 15% of their total able-bodied beneficiaries based on hardship or lack of jobs in a given area.
- Ends USDA bonus awards to states for administering SNAP.
- Ensures SNAP recipients are not receiving benefits from multiple states and that previously disqualified recipients do not start receiving benefits in another state.
- Prevents states from paying individuals low amounts of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds in an effort to allow them to qualify for SNAP.
- Ensures that illegal immigrants, lottery winners, and the deceased do not receive benefits.
- Allows states to conduct drug testing on SNAP applicants as a condition for receiving benefits.
- Allows states to pursue retailer fraud and deter retailers from engaging in benefit trafficking by requiring them to stock at least three of the four major food groups to qualify as vendors.
- Increases assistance for food banks.
- Ensures seniors and low-income families have access to farmers’ markets.
- Continues the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program to promote healthy eating habits for school children.
- Reauthorizes food distribution programs which provide assistance for Indian Tribal Organizations.
Rep. Jones released a statement about his vote against the bill. Among his comments:
“The bill would also do away with reforms that I have strongly supported in the past, which give states like North Carolina the flexibility to administer SNAP program benefits in the way that works best for North Carolinians. This is the wrong approach at a time when, largely because of this administration’s gross mismanagement of the economy, the unemployment rate in Eastern North Carolina remains elevated over 10 percent, and jobs are hard to find.”
“The sad fact is that instead of cutting off a lifeline for millions of Americans, we could save equally as much money by eliminating foreign aid for just one year. In my opinion, that is the approach we ought to be taking.”
