Food Stamp Improvements for More Than 10 Million People Would Disappear in 2013 Under Senate-Passed Farm Bill

Publication Date: January 2008

Publisher: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (Washington, D.C.)

Author(s):

Research Area: Agriculture, forestry and fishing; Health

Keywords: Economic projections; Food costs; Food insecurity; Public education

Type: Report

Abstract:

The nutrition titles of the House- and Senate-passed farm bills are very similar over the first five years that the farm bill would be in effect (2008 through 2012). The House bill invests $3.9 billion — and the Senate $4.1 billion — over five years in food stamps and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). In addition, the policy changes that the two bills would make are very similar — ending erosion in the purchasing power of food stamps, supporting work and savings, and increasing federal support for commodity purchases for food banks and emergency feeding organizations. The Senate bill also includes a few additional proposals, such as raising the asset limit and several useful program simplifications with modest costs. There is, however, a profound difference between the House and Senate nutrition titles. The House bill would make these provisions permanent law. Under the Senate bill, all the major benefit improvements would terminate after 2012, and policies would return to today’s law, cutting benefits to millions of poor families, seniors and people with disabilities."