Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Chair, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to voice my strong opposition to the 2018 Republican farm bill.

As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, I have participated in countless hearings about the needs of our Nation's farmers and families that depend on SNAP to fight hunger.

Tragically, this bill doesn't reflect any of that testimony. It is a shortsighted, partisan bill that will have a detrimental impact on communities like mine. I cannot support it.

In my home county of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, more than 55,000 households depend on SNAP to eat every day. This bill would rob them of access to quality nutrition programs. In North Carolina, it is estimated that more than 133,000 people will lose their SNAP benefits if this bill passes, including over 51,000 children. Nationwide, 2 million people would be kicked off the program and an estimated 265,000 children would lose access to free or reduced meals at school. No eating at home. No eating at school.

Adding new work requirements through an unfunded, untested mandate will bankrupt States and force more needy people out of the program. Let's scrap this flawed partisan farm bill and let's work together in regular order to draft a bill that helps America's farmers and families who depend on nutrition assistance.

Mr. Chair, I include in the Record a letter from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, opposing H.R. 2 because of the detrimental effects and impact that it will have on our children and families there. Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, North Carolina, April 17, 2018. Congresswoman Alma Adams, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Congresswoman Alma Adams: As you mark-up of the Farm Bill reauthorization, H.R. 2 this week, I write to you in support of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding, formerly known as Food Stamps, which has historically made up a significant part of this legislation. This vital program offers nutrition assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families and provides economic benefits to communities. In total, more than 40 million low-income people depend upon this program to keep their families fed.

The Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2) is the legislative vehicle for reauthorizing and reforming the programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023. The last enacted Farm Bill (PL 113-79) is set to expire on September 30. The proposed reauthorization bill is scheduled for markup with the House Agriculture Committee this Wednesday, April 18. It contains several provisions and budget cuts that are troubling and could detrimentally impact our community.

The bill includes provisions that expand work requirements and punish the least fortunate members of our community who are often times unable to find employment. Specifically, the bill makes it mandatory that recipients of SNAP, who are able-bodied adults, ages 18 to 59, are either employed or are participating in state-run employment or job-training programs. Participants could be denied benefits for not meeting the new work requirements. The first suspension of benefits would be for 12 months, while a second suspension of benefits would be up to 36 months. Under current law, the SNAP program already has work requirements for able-bodied adults aged 18 to 49. Additionally, the new Farm Bill would include spending cuts, which would make fewer people eligible for benefits and directly harm working-poor families. Mecklenburg County has real concern that these proposed changes in H.R. 2 would negatively impact some of our poorest citizens and cause serious difficulties for our community's most vulnerable populations.

Mecklenburg has 55,472 households that rely on SNAP to help provide sustenance. The County also has specific concerns with language in H.R. 2 that reduces spending by $5 billion over 10 years through the ending of a broad-based categorical eligibility that allows states to consider working poor beneficiaries with higher incomes that put them above 130 percent of the federal poverty level.

We look forward to working with you on this important effort. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely, Dena R. Diorio, Mecklenburg County Manager.

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