By Ty Johnson | The Brownsville Herald
The House of Representatives’ Wednesday passage of a version of the federal farm bill was met with fanfare in Washington, where the approval of the bill that will set subsidies and food assistance budgets for the next five years was celebrated after a series of temporary extensions.
Congress passed the last such comprehensive farm bill in 2008.
But Texas Food Bank Network Chief Executive Celia Cole quickly released a statement following the vote to register her organization’s opposition to the bill, which will reduce Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits, formerly food stamps, for 850,000 households in 16 states over the next 10 years.
Supporters of the bill cited its bipartisan support, but Cole characterized the vote as one that “split both parties.”
“Although Texas families will not be affected by this cut, we are dismayed that Congress chose to slash this critical anti-hunger program for the fourth time in as many years,” she said in the statement.
The cuts come months after the monthly benefits for SNAP families were reduced due to a suspension of stimulus funds by Congress, meaning that families needing public assistance in certain areas have now been hit twice with reduced benefits.
But U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, said Thursday that the bill, with its $8 billion reduction in SNAP funding, is a far better option than what House Republicans initially proposed last year: a bill with $40 billion in cuts.
“Republicans in the House wanted $40 billion in cuts,” Vela said. “Obviously $4 billion would be a lot better than an $8 billion cut, but when you consider the difference between $4 and $40 (billion), $8 (billion) ends up being a pretty reasonable figure.”
What is more important, Vela said, is the permanence of the bill, which will set farm subsidies and budgets for five years, especially with mid-term elections coming up this fall.
“What happens if the Republicans take the senate and you’ve got no bill?” he asked, suggesting that if the GOP were to control both houses of Congress, the cuts to SNAP could be far greater. “All of a sudden there’s nobody negotiating from a position of strength to lower the number.”
In the statement, Cole said staving off larger cuts in the future was understandable, but suggested those factors still did not make the current bill the right choice.
“We understand the wrenching decision that several members of our Texas delegation made to vote for this bill in order to forestall another round of possibly deeper cuts,” Cole said. “But while the negotiated cut is far below what many pushed for in the House, it is neither a fair nor reasonable compromise for the families it hurts.”
Although Vela didn’t suggest the bill was perfect, he said the passage of the bill and other actions in Congress since a divisive session last year, could be signs that the legislative body is once again gaining momentum to handle the federal government’s business.
“From the budget to the spending bills, the farm bill and hopefully next the water resources bill, we’re finally starting to see some action,” he said.
Cole said she hopes the passage of the farm bill represents a shift in momentum as well.
“This vote must mark the end of the War on the Poor,” she said. “Congress must stop balancing the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable, simply because they lack the political clout to fight back. This farm bill must be the last time that hungry Americans are made to suffer.”
Vela, who served on the conference committee for the bill, said there are indications that the bill could be discussed in the Senate as soon as Tuesday. He also suggested in a release that he anticipates it will be passed and then signed into law by President Barack Obama.
