Sad to say, the US Department of Agriculture, which runs the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), recently said that millions of Americans could lose their SNAP benefits.
Experts have warned that millions of SNAP users across the country could lose their benefits if Congress does not find a way to compromise on the Farm Bill.
An important federal law that is updated every five years is the Farm Bill, which is also known as the Farm, Food, and National Security Act.
The newest law, which was passed in 2018, was set to end in 2023, but Congress chose to make it last until September 30, 2024. This goal was not met, though.
SNAP benefits could be at risk for millions of Americans in the US
SNAP benefits help low- and no-income families get food, but experts have recently warned that they might not get money if laws are not changed by the start of the new year.
Colleen Heflin, a professor of public administration and foreign affairs at Syracuse University, told Newsweek that even if the appropriations bills are not passed by the end of the month, SNAP benefits will still be paid in January.
This is because the benefits are due in December. She made it clear that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which pays for SNAP benefits, has a multi-year leftover fund and emergency funds, but it is not known how long the payments will continue.
A spokesperson for the House Committee on Agriculture also told Newsweek that the 2018 farm bill will be extended if there is no new farm bill by January 1. Starting in 2026.
The Thrifty Food Plan will be changed every five years, no matter if a new farm bill is passed or extensions are kept in place.
The founder and CEO of the United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC), Javier Palomarez, told Newsweek that Congress needs to pass a bipartisan farm bill to keep American families from having more problems.
This is because food and living costs are already very high.
As Palomarez also said, our lawmakers need to move to protect small businesses, farmers, ranchers, and the millions of Americans who depend on food assistance programs.
It is very disappointing that our Congress has not been able to pass such an important and sensible bill. This is a pattern that is becoming all too common in the current political climate.
This new legislation will affect environmental policies and SNAP benefits funding
In most cases, when it is time to renew the Farm Law, both sides can come to an agreement and get the law renewed before it expires. Then, for the next five years, this new law will set rules for farming, the environment, and money matters.
That being said, Congress could not agree on new laws in 2023, before the 2018 law expired. In fact, it was just an extra year added to the present measure.
Things are still the same in politics, with parties that are at odds with each other having narrow majorities in both houses of Congress.
They both agree on some important parts of the plan, but they have different ideas about how to run the national food safety program.
The five-year review that was part of the last Farm Bill is something that Democrats want to keep. The value change is linked to the Thrifty Food Plan.
It is the TFP’s job to figure out how much the healthy foods people with low incomes can afford to buy and make. To keep up with inflation, the federal government changes the maximum monthly SNAP benefit every year in October.
The amount changed depends on the size of the family. In the GOP’s proposed Farm Bill, the TFP would be stopped and SNAP payments would stay the same until the next Farm Bill was passed.
Lastly, Representative Glenn Thompson, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said in April of this year that the 2024 Farm Bill will reaffirm congressional intent by setting up a cost-neutral process that looks at food prices and composition, eating habits, and dietary guidelines.
Also see:-Increase in Social Security checks in 2025 – First reactions are coming in, and it’s not good news
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