WASHINGTON – Today Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (KS-02) voted in support of H.R. 3102, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013, to protect and adequately provide for the nation’s most vulnerable individuals. Congresswoman Jenkins released the following statement after the vote:

“In July, the House passed serious reforms to our nation’s agriculture policies. Today’s vote was another important step toward getting critical reforms in our nutrition programs so the safety net is there for the families and children who truly need it. Now that the House has passed both a farm title and nutrition title, Congress will be able to go to conference on a farm bill that our farmers and ranchers desperately need in order to feed the nation and plan for the future.

“I believe the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides necessary and vital services for our most vulnerable Americans. Congress has a responsibility to support and empower individuals and families in their time of need, and this bill will protect the ability of programs like SNAP to provide benefits to those who need them. This bill is not about politics, it is about helping and encouraging folks to get back on their feet. This is why I support requiring healthy, capable adults, who are not caring for another individual, to work, train, volunteer, or attend class in exchange for federal taxpayer assistance. While this provision also saves the program money, for me, it is about good policy, not a specific dollar amount.”

H.R. 3102 does not change the current income eligibility to receive SNAP benefits, and the work requirement excludes children, the disabled, senior citizens, and individuals whose dependents rely on them for care. This bill does not require a person to be employed in order to receive benefits, but eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse, by simply requiring able-bodied adults to do one of the following for 20 hours per week: look for work, participate in a job-training program, volunteer in their community, or attend an education or rehabilitation course.

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