WASHINGTON, D.C. — With only days before the Farm Bill expires, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture, led a letter sent by the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, urging him to revise the partisan Farm Bill that passed out of the House Committee on Agriculture to remove the $30 billion cuts to SNAP included in the bill and work with House Democrats to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that helps women, families, and farmers.
Joining the letter were Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Rep. Lois Frankel (FL-22), Vice Chairs Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) and Rep. Nikema Williams (GA-05), Policy Co-Chairs Rep. Kathy Manning (NC-06) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and 65 members of the DWC.
“I have been clear any cuts to SNAP are unacceptable. The version of the Farm Bill that passed out of committee in May included $30 billion in cuts to SNAP, which would reduce benefits for millions of Americans who rely on the program, disproportionately impacting women and children. I introduced an amendment to remove these cuts and fully fund SNAP, but committee Republicans blocked the measure,” said Congresswoman Hayes. “I am grateful to my colleagues in the Democratic Women’s Caucus for joining me in asking Speaker Johnson to fix the Farm Bill, protect vulnerable families who rely on SNAP, and return to a bipartisan Farm Bill that can pass the House and address food insecurity in our communities.”
In the letter, members warned that including cuts to food and nutrition assistance programs, including Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, in the Farm Bill could jeopardize its final passage, putting thousands of farmers and families at risk. The letter highlights the positive impact that SNAP has on women and families, emphasizing that the majority of the program recipients are women and children, many in families experiencing poverty.
On May 24, 2024, Congresswoman Hayes offered an amendment to H.R.8467 that would undo the $30 billion in SNAP cuts through the Thrifty Food Plan, which determines benefit amounts for individuals and families.
The Farm Bill text as presented would cause over 41 million Americans to see their SNAP benefits cut – benefits that are currently about $6.20 a day. Included in these cuts are 17 million children, 5 million children under the age of 5, 4 million disabled Americans, and 6 million seniors. All will see their benefits decrease. Additionally, families who rely on Summer EBT for food when children are out of school, will see that program lose $500 million in funding.
This letter comes as the Farm Bill is set to expire on Monday, September 30.
In addition to Rep. Hayes, Chair Frankel, Vice Chairs Leger Fernández and Williams, and Policy Co-Chairs Pressley and Manning, the letter was signed by Representatives Grace Meng, Katie Porter, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nydia M. Velázquez, Suzanne Bonamici, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Maxine Waters, Veronica Escobar, Frederica S. Wilson, Shontel M. Brown, Jasmine Crockett, Jan Schakowsky, Terri A. Sewell, Ann McLane Kuster, Cori Bush, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jennifer L. McClellan, Zoe Lofgren, Rashida Tlaib, Delia C. Ramirez, Susan Wild, Betty McCollum, Lucy McBath, Linda T. Sánchez, Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., Madeleine Dean, Suzan K. DelBene, Anna G. Eshoo, Jill Tokuda, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Chellie Pingree, Yvette D. Clarke, Doris Matsu, Brittany Pettersen, Melanie Stansbury, Haley M. Stevens, Becca Balint, Lori Trahan, Julia Brownley, Sara Jacobs, Val Hoyle, Deborah K. Ross, Debbie Dingell, Robin L. Kelly, Mary Gay Scanlon, Kathy Castor. Summer L. Lee, Sylvia R. Garcia, Judy Chu, Rosa L. DeLauro, Dina Titus, Chrissy Houlahan, Mikie Sherrill, Hillary J. Scholten, Barbara Lee, Marcy Kaptur, and Norma J. Torres.
Read the full letter HERE and below.
The Honorable Mike Johnson
Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
H-232, The Capitol
Washington D.C. 20515
Dear Speaker Johnson,
On behalf of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, we urge you to rework the partisan farm bill that passed out of the House Committee on Agriculture, and work with House Democrats to pass a bipartisan farm bill that truly helps women and families.
H.R.8467, the “Farm, Food, and National Security Act,” as passed out of Committee, would cut $30 billion in food assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade, the largest cut to SNAP in nearly twenty years. This would disproportionately impact women and children, who make up the vast majority of SNAP participants. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, in fiscal year 2022, 38 percent of SNAP recipients were adult women and 40 percent were children. Further, single mothers would be disproportionately impacted by cuts to SNAP benefits; the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) found that, from June 2020 through September 2020, 64 percent of SNAP households with children were headed by a single adult, 92 percent of which were headed by women.
SNAP is an essential program that reduces rates of women’s poverty; according to the NWLC, SNAP helped 1.2 million women escape poverty in 2021. It is a critical tool for addressing poverty and hunger in our country. We cannot leave our most vulnerable behind.
Including cuts to SNAP benefits in the farm bill undermines the inclusion of any other positive advancements and could jeopardize final passage of the bill, putting farmers and families in harm’s way. We are committed to passing a farm bill that supports both our farmers and ranchers, and nutrition assistance for women and their families.
We look forward to working with you to address our concerns and deliver for women across the country.