Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow is pushing back against calls from Republicans to change the food and drink eligibilities for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, in the upcoming 2023 Farm bill.
The latest push from some GOP lawmakers is to eliminate certain junk food like candy and salty processed snacks from the SNAP program. There’s also been calls to restrict people from buying sugary soft drinks.
But Stabenow, a Democrat and Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, said she opposes any cuts of these foods and drinks to SNAP
"I understand what folks are saying, but restricting choices, has never worked other than a bunch of bureaucracy and a lot of taxpayer money a lot of debates about, you know, what's a soft drink?," Stabenow told WCMU.
Stabenow said the federal government is better off creating incentives to promote healthy eating and enhancing SNAP education programs, which have been pushed in the past.
One of the many provision in the upcoming Farm Bill Stabenow did say she's willing to consider reforming is in the Actively Engaged In Farming program.
A 2018 Government Accountability Office report found that one out of every four farm subsidy recipients who applied for this benefit program didn’t provide personal labor on their farms.
Stabenow says a small number of those who apply and receive these payments work in finance on Wall Street and shouldn’t be eligible.
"I think it's very appropriate to take a look at who is receiving payments, folks that aren't, you know, the ones actively engaged in the farm," said Stabenow.
It’s unclear if policy makers will change the definition of “actively engaged in farming.”
The Farm Bill is expected to be finalized this fall.
