House proposes cutting $230 billion from SNAP, redirecting funds to farm programs
On May 13, the House Agriculture Committee released a draft text explaining its proposal to reduce spending by at least $230 billion. Most of the cuts are expected to come from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the committee members plan to invest the savings in agriculture, including commodity programs, crop insurance and other farm bill programs.
The Republican-led House Agriculture Committee has been tasked with finding more than a trillion dollars in savings while trying to craft a new farm bill. While announcing its proposal, the committee members stated they would restore SNAP “to its original intent” and encourage “work, not welfare—while saving taxpayer dollars and investing in American agriculture.”
Currently, SNAP benefits are funded federally, but the committee has proposed that states would share in some of the financial backing of these programs, leaving more room in the farm bill budget. The House Ag Committee recommended the federal government cover 100% of the cost of SNAP for next two fiscal years, but reduce its funding to 95% by 2028, and continue the reduction in financial support for the ensuing years while the individual states pick up the rest of the tab.
The proposal also recommends tightening eligibility requirements for SNAP and blocking the federal government from expanding monthly benefits in the future. Democrats have been critical of the ag committee’s plan, saying the reduction in federal funding and burden of more financial responsibility on the states could be a disaster. They argue that states could be forced to cut benefits because there is not enough money in their budgets to cover their portion of the program.
Benefits for agriculture programs
The redirected funds are expected to increase the Price Loss Coverage reference prices by 10% to 20% and the Agriculture Risk Coverage guarantee would be raised to 90%. This will allow farmers to enroll about 30 million new base acres eligible for PLC or ARC coverage.
Additionally, the individual limit for commodity program payments would jump from $125,000 to $155,000. The premium subsidy for the supplemental coverage option would increase from 65% to 80%. Finally, the proposal would incorporate the Inflation Reduction Act conservation funding into the farm bill baseline; however, it would cut red tape that previously limited the funding to climate-smart practices.
Support for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program would go from $2.66 billion in 2026 to $3.26 billion in 2031. Additionally, funding for the Conservation Stewardship Program would go from $1.3 billion in 2026 to $1.38 billion in 2031.
Members of the House Ag Committee believe the proposal and its approval could be a significant step toward finalizing a new farm bill this year. The committee has plans to meet soon and begin its markup with plans to move forward and find middle ground with the rest of the policymakers.
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
