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The farm bill passed out of the House Agriculture Committee that would end food stamp benefits for at least 1 million people over the next decade—including in families with children—is gaining support from the hard-liners who originally thought the bill wasn't going to be harsh enough, that it left too many people getting nutrition assistance.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-Texas) on Friday held a listening session on the legislation to talk about the provision that would expand work requirements and shift a substantial portion of food stamp funding from benefits to job training.
"The more that I was able to talk to folks about the specifics of what we do, the better they like it, so I'm encouraged by the reaction," Conaway told reporters Friday. […] "The things they wanted are what we're doing ... it's just a question, is there enough in the [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] SNAP side to cause those that had problems in the overall farm bill to vote 'yes' when we bring it to the floor," Conaway said.
Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), chairman of the Republican Study Committee, said he also sees some support coming from additional conservatives.
"There are still a few things that need to be fleshed out in that area to make sure we're reaching out to enough able-bodied adults to continue to transition them to a better life, upward mobility," Walker told The Hill. "So there's a few little things that have to be wrapped up there, but other than that, yes. Itfeels positive."
They still haven't necessarily got the Freedom Caucus maniacs on board because the bill spends money not just on SNAP, but on farm supports in general. That's still going to be a challenge for Conaway. "I don't know that there's any of us who really believe the House bill is going to be the bill the president signs into law," Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), the Freedom Caucus Chairman told The Hill. That doesn't mean he's totally ruling it out, because there's always the possibility, he told HuffPost, that it will harm a lot more people than the CBO initially estimated.
"It doesn't save any money according to CBO, but in actuality there is a potential for savings," Meadows said. He pointed to significant drops in food stamp enrollment in several states that recently imposed stricter eligibility requirements on adults without dependents.
And fellow maniac Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) is leaning toward making at least some people go hungry. "I'm all for the welfare reform aspect of it. […] I think it's off to a good start." Moderate Republicans, the most vulnerable, don't want to go there. Democrats sure as hell aren't going to support it, and it can't pass the Senate. It's just one more point of contention for what's shaping up to be a difficult summer and fall for the Republican Congress, with the added bonus of pissing off farmers who are already freaked out about Trump's tariffs. Fun times.