News

Conaway touts farm bill SNAP policies at American Enterprise Institute

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway of Texas defended the House farm bill’s SNAP – or food stamp – policies during a televised event Tuesday sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute.

Chairman Conaway focused on the bill’s work requirements for SNAP recipients and how he says those policies would help strengthen families.  He says stark partisan differences in the farm bill that currently exist can be worked out.

“When the Senate gets their deal done and the House gets theirs done, then in the conference committee we can work out some of these things to figure out ‘exactly what is it that you don’t like about what I’m doing?’” said Chairman Conaway, “because I am not naïve or arrogant enough to believe that the bill I got out of committee the other day is what the president is going to sign.”

Angela Rachidi, a poverty specialist with the institute says the bill needs to do more to restrict SNAP benefits from being spent on products of questionable nutritive value.

“I think it’s entirely reasonable to not allow a certain product, sugary beverages, for example, that does absolutely nothing to improve nutrition,” said Rachidi.

The House farm bill is expected to be considered soon by the full House of Representatives.