As of April 2018, almost 300,000 Bexar County residents and 3.7 million Texans receive benefits from the nationwide Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, better known as SNAP.
Federal food assistance programs – including SNAP, specifically – are entangled in the 2018 Farm Bill currently being considered in the U.S. Congress.
Formally titled the Agriculture and Nutrition Act, or H.R. 2, the bill claims to be a fiscally responsible solution to protect the American economy, especially in rural areas that have suffered losses.
Existing work requirements for eligibility into food assistance programs may be strengthened under the bill, which could restrict benefits and access for low-income families.
Why is federal food assistance tied into a bill related to the agriculture industry? How will proposed changes affect individuals and families enrolled in programs like SNAP?
Guests:
- Michael Conaway, R-Texas, chairman of the Agriculture Committee in the House of Representatives
- Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas
- Simon Constable, fellow at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health and the Study of Business Enterprise
- Gina Carter, director of policy strategy, analysis and development in Texas Health & Human Services Department's Access and Eligibility Services division
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