Rep. McGovern: New Farm Bill Will Impact the Most Vulnerable Americans
A proposed overhaul of food stamps, the largest federal public assistance program in the country, has created a partisan fight over the Farm Bill in the House Agriculture Committee, traditionally one of the most bipartisan committees in Congress.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which used to be known as food stamps, makes up around [80 percent](https://www.farmpolicyfacts.org/farm-policy-history/) of mandatory spending in the Farm Bill. It provides around [42 million Americans](https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/pd/29SNAPcurrPP.pdf) with an average of about [$125 a month per person]
(https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/pd/SNAPsummary.pdf) to buy groceries and other necessities, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The House Agriculture Committee voted last week to introduce a new Farm Bill to the House on a strict party-line vote (26 to 20). The new measure, which would replace the old law set to expire in September, is largely uncontroversial, leaving many of the current farmers' subsidies unchanged.
The major point of contention has to do with proposed changes to SNAP that would enact stricter requirements on aid recipients. All able-bodied recipients between the ages of 18 and 59 would be required to enroll in state-run employment or training programs for [20 hours a week](https://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/agriculture_and_nutrition_act_of_2018_section_by_section.pdf) in order to receive food aid. Those who aren't enrolled would be ineligible for benefits for 12 months. The bill also allocates $1 billion a year for states to establish those mandatory education and training programs.
These changes to the food aid program offer "beneficiaries a springboard out of poverty to a good paying job, and opportunity for a better way of life," said the committee’s chairman, Rep. Michael Conaway (R-Texas), in a [statement](https://agriculture.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4277) last week.
House Speaker Paul Ryan praised the proposed plan, and said it was “the precise thing we need to get people from welfare to work.” The Farm Bill requirements are similar to those included in a recent [executive order issued by President Trump](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/10/us/trump-work-requirements-assistance-programs.html) that would require low-income recipients of federal aid or housing assistance to work or risk losing their benefits.
Democrats on the committee said such requirements would result in millions of the country's most vulnerable citizens kicked out of a program they rely on to survive. Furthermore, the ranking member of the subcommittee on nutrition, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said the bill was drafted without Democrats' input.
“We held 23 hearings on SNAP. Nothing in the Farm Bill reflects those hearings,” McGovern said Tuesday in an interview with Cheddar.
“The majority of people who are on SNAP are not expected to work ー they’re kids, they’re seniors, they’re people who are disabled. Of those who can work, the majority work,” said McGovern.
He also said that the new funding for education and training amounts to only about $25 to $30 per person ー far short of what is needed.
The Congressional Budget Office will release its own analysis of the bill and it could reportedly reach the floor for a vote in early [May](https://about.bgov.com/blog/farm-bill-slated-house-floor-action-week-may-7/).
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rep-jim-mcgovern-d-ma-is-sick-and-tired-of-republicans-beating-up-on-poor-people).
After scrutiny over the negative impact on the mental health of children, social media apps have begun adding stricter limitations to parental controls. Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization focusing on recommendations for entertainment platforms, joined Cheddar News to talk about the changes, why they might not be enough, and what parents can do to help. "It's almost that the companies — whether they're Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, or whatever — have to start the process from the beginning of designing the product," he said. "They have to be much more clear about age verification so that a 12-year-old and 11-year-old can't get on there." Steyer also pushed for federal legislation to reign in the issue.
As Big Tech companies from the U.S. like Google and Apple managed to build market dominance overseas, the European Union has decided to curb what it sees as monopolistic growth. Greg Martin, the co-founder of Rainmaker Securities, joined Cheddar News to talk about how the impact of the antitrust regulations being adopted. "I think there's a lot of great outcomes here, but those will be far down the road [because] I do think there's some interoperability things that need to be worked out technologically," he said. "But it's going to be really good ultimately for the consumer in my opinion."
Tenicka Boyd is a digital creator making content that reflects her two passions: activism and style. The TikTok star joined Cheddar News to talk about her platform and new looks this Spring. Boyd admitted that at first she wanted to remain anonymous on the social media platform before finding her passion. "I just joined TikTok hoping that no one would find me, and I started creating colorful content," she said. "I didn't know that you could monetize this and really do it full time, and I just followed my passion because I realized that you can have multiple different lives and do multiple different things."
Catching you up on what you need to know on March 25, 2022, with Ukrainian forces retaking Kyiv, 300 deaths reported from the bombing of a theater used as a shelter in Mariupol, U.S. regulators ditch a climate review of natural gas projects, the 94th Academy Awards, and more.
North Korea says it test-fired its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile under the orders of leader Kim Jong Un, who vowed to continue expanding his nuclear arsenal while preparing for a “long-standing confrontation” with the United States.
Ukrainian authorities in the besieged ruins of Mariupol say that about 300 people died when a Russian airstrike blew up a theater where hundreds of civilians were sheltering.
Survivors of the Parkland School Shooting along with activists from March For Our Lives set up on the National Mall on Thursday. Their demonstration displayed 1,100 bodybags that spelled out the phrase “Thoughts and Prayers” to remind lawmakers that condolences are not enough and to push for action on guns. Each bag represented 150 lives lost due to gun violence. Trevon Bosley, a board member of March For Our Lives, joined Cheddar News to discuss the organization's return to Washington, DC. "The main thing bringing us back is that we have not seen anything being done on the national level for gun violence.” Bosley said. “We’re not seeing anything changed, and we’re not seeing lives being saved”
UK's prince William and his wife were met by protesters during their visit to Jamaica. Cheddar News speaks with political strategist Dee Dawkins-Haigler, who explains why the country's path to independence is relevant to Americans.
