WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) blasted the Republican leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a revised Farm Bill without funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. The revised bill excluded the nutrition title that authorizes SNAP and other vital nutrition-related programs that benefit millions of Americans.
Butterfield said, “House Republicans showed the American people that they don’t care about those most in need–about the single mother with children who is trying to make ends meet and feed her family, or about low-income seniors and school children who depend on SNAP funding. They instead showed that they care more about scoring political points and passing a partisan bill that will save face for Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor.”
On June 20, the House defeated the first Farm Bill which included a nutrition title by a vote of 195 to 234. The defeat was embarrassing for the House Majority because 62 Republicans joined with Democrats to strike down the bill. Democrats disagreed with the $20.5 billion in spending cuts to the SNAP program, and Tea Party Republicans voted against the bill because they believed the drastic cuts to the program were not significant enough.
“Today was a very sad day for America. I am sorely disappointed by repeated attempts by the Republican Majority to further disenfranchise poor and minority communities. The American people deserve better.”
The revised Farm Bill passed the House of Representatives today by a vote of 216 to 208. No Democrats voted for final passage.