With just days to go before an agreement on the federal budget and on important initiatives such as the Farm Bill expire, there is no indication that they will be resolved in time.
This is a virtual repetition of what happened in 2023, when in the absence of an agreement it was agreed to extend the benefits of the Farm Bill for another year, and now they expire on September 30.
The crux of the disagreements between Democrats and Republicans is the financing of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food stamps to low-income families, which provides food assistance to almost 42 million people. SNAP absorbs more than 80% of the cost of the Farm Bill.
Only 20 percent of households receiving SNAP have gross monthly income above the federal poverty line. The average monthly gross income of a household receiving SNAP is about $900 and the net income is $400. About 16% of SNAP recipients are Hispanic families.
SNAP not only helps combat food insecurity among the country’s lowest-income families, but it has a positive effect on stimulating local communities and increasing demand for agricultural and consumer staples, all of which have a positive impact on the economy as a whole.
But Republicans are seeking to cut $30 billion to SNAP and impose stricter work and eligibility requirements and reduce spending to channel it to farmers. However, Democrats, including the White House, are adamantly opposed to any cuts.
Rudy Arredondo, who represents 75,000 Latino farmers and ranchers in the United States and is part of a coalition pushing for a renewal of the Farm Law, says they have been kept in the dark about possible progress in the negotiations.
“We are not sure that the Farm Bill will be finalized. We don’t know if the differences in the two legislative proposals, from Democrats and Republicans, have been resolved. We are very concerned,” he tells me.
Just days before the September 30 deadline, Democrats and Republicans agreed on a plan to extend the deadline for a budget agreement until December 20, after the elections. But the Farm Bill was not included.
Everything seems to indicate that the intention of Democrats and Republicans is to explore the possibility of an agreement on the Farm Bill during the legislative sessions that take place after the elections and before the start of the new Congress.
SNAP benefits will not end immediately. Even if there is no budget agreement, the lowest-income families in the country deserve a lasting solution that provides them with security and decent food.
Contact your congressional delegation in Washington and let them know your point of view. No one should be a passive spectator when the food of millions, especially the most vulnerable, is at stake. Your voice and your vote count.
