Democratic Women’s Caucus Calls on Speaker Johnson to Rework Farm Bill, Protect Access to SNAP for Women and Children
CONTACT: Lizzie Johnson, (202)-590-6073, lizzie.johnson@mail.house.gov (DWC)
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Tuesday, August 27, Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) member Rep. Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Chair Lois Frankel (FL-22), Vice Chairs Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) and Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Policy Co-Chairs Kathy Manning (NC-06) and Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) led 65 of their DWC colleagues in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson urging him to revise the partisan farm bill that passed out of the House Committee on Agriculture, and work with House Democrats to pass a bipartisan farm bill that helps women, families, and farmers.
The Members warned that including cuts to food and nutrition assistance programs, including Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, in the farm bill could jeopardize its final passage, putting thousands of farmers and families in harm’s way. The letter highlights the positive impact that SNAP has on women and families, emphasizing that the majority of the program’s recipients are women and children, many in families experiencing poverty.
“H.R.8467, the ‘Farm, Food, and National Security Act,’ as passed out of Committee, would cut $30 billion in food assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade, the largest cut to SNAP in nearly twenty years,” DWC members wrote. “This would disproportionately impact women and children, who make up the vast majority of SNAP participants.”
“We are committed to passing a farm bill that supports both our farmers and ranchers, and nutrition assistance for women and their families,” the DWC members continued, “We look forward to working with you to address our concerns and deliver for women across the country.”
This letter comes as the House prepares to return from their August district work period with a farm bill expiration date looming.
In addition to Rep. Hayes, Chair Frankel, Vice Chairs Leger Fernández and Williams, and Policy Co-Chairs Pressley and Manning, the letter was signed by Grace Meng, Katie Porter, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nydia M. Velázquez, Suzanne Bonamici, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Maxine Waters, Veronica Escobar, Frederica S. Wilson, Shontel M. Brown, Jasmine Crockett, Jan Schakowsky, Terri A. Sewell, Ann McLane Kuster, Cori Bush, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jennifer L. McClellan, Zoe Lofgren, Rashida Tlaib, Delia C. Ramirez, Susan Wild, Betty McCollum, Lucy McBath, Linda T. Sánchez, Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., Madeleine Dean, Suzan K. DelBene, Anna G. Eshoo, Jill Tokuda, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Chellie Pingree, Yvette D. Clarke, Doris Matsu, Brittany Pettersen, Melanie Stansbury, Haley M. Stevens, Becca Balint, Lori Trahan, Julia Brownley, Sara Jacobs, Val Hoyle, Deborah K. Ross, Debbie Dingell, Robin L. Kelly, Mary Gay Scanlon, Kathy Castor. Summer L. Lee, Sylvia R. Garcia, Judy Chu, Rosa L. DeLauro, Dina Titus, Chrissy Houlahan, Mikie Sherrill, Hillary J. Scholten, Barbara Lee, Marcy Kaptur, and Norma J. Torres.
Read the full letter HERE and below.
____________________________________________________________________________
The Honorable Mike Johnson
Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
H-232, The Capitol
Washington D.C. 20515
Dear Speaker Johnson,
On behalf of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, we urge you to rework the partisan farm bill that passed out of the House Committee on Agriculture, and work with House Democrats to pass a bipartisan farm bill that truly helps women and families.
H.R.8467, the “Farm, Food, and National Security Act,” as passed out of Committee, would cut $30 billion in food assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade, the largest cut to SNAP in nearly twenty years. This would disproportionately impact women and children, who make up the vast majority of SNAP participants. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, in fiscal year 2022, 38 percent of SNAP recipients were adult women and 40 percent were children. Further, single mothers would be disproportionately impacted by cuts to SNAP benefits; the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) found that, from June 2020 through September 2020, 64 percent of SNAP households with children were headed by a single adult, 92 percent of which were headed by women.
SNAP is an essential program that reduces rates of women’s poverty; according to the NWLC, SNAP helped 1.2 million women escape poverty in 2021. It is a critical tool for addressing poverty and hunger in our country. We cannot leave our most vulnerable behind.
Including cuts to SNAP benefits in the farm bill undermines the inclusion of any other positive advancements and could jeopardize final passage of the bill, putting farmers and families in harm’s way. We are committed to passing a farm bill that supports both our farmers and ranchers, and nutrition assistance for women and their families.
We look forward to working with you to address our concerns and deliver for women across the country.