SNAP recipients won't be subjected to a proposed pilot program that would restrict SNAP purchases if a slew of new government funding were to be passed in the coming weeks.
Spending measures have now been released by congressional leaders ahead of two deadlines this month—one on March 8, and another on March 22. The measures include funding stipulations for welfare programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), among others.
According to a summary released by the Democratic Party, it has "successfully eliminated extreme policies proposed by House Republicans," including "the Republican proposal for a 'SNAP Choice' pilot program that would have limited food choices for people on SNAP."
Put forward by Maryland Representative Andy Harris, a Republican, the pilot program would have seen voluntary SNAP recipients in five states being permitted to spend their benefits only on nutrient dense foods aligned with dietary guidelines, meaning purchasing items like soda, processed foods and candy wouldn't have been allowed. Harris cited high obesity rates across the U.S. as a particular concern among food stamp collectors.
Following the package release on Sunday, Harris told Newsweek: "I am surprised that the Democrats, who are so interested in health equity, adamantly opposed converting the SNAP program to a healthier food program, which would result in healthier outcomes for minorities overrepresented in the SNAP program. Obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are all more prevalent in those communities—and a more nutritious diet is accepted by experts as a means to deal with preventing and treating those diseases. Food is medicine."
In an opinion piece published in The Hill in January, Harris wrote: "The program's [SNAP] stated goal is to "raise the nutrition levels of low-income households," yet 40 percent of adult SNAP recipients suffer from obesity and almost 45 percent have received a diagnosis of diet-related disease — far higher rates than the general population."
"SNAP is a crucial safety net program that provides nutrition support to low-income households," he continued in the piece, penned alongside poverty researcher Angela Rachidi. "It should also help them be healthy by prioritizing nutrition."
According to the Democrat memo, a range of food and nutrition programs that serve the U.S. will continue to be funded if the bill packages are passed. Among them, the SNAP scheme will receive $119 billion in mandatory funding, meaning it will be fully paid for until the end of the fiscal year. Other programs, like the WIC Food Package for mothers and infants, will also appropriately paid for.
Following the release of the packages, House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger said in a statement: "The House Republican Conference made a commitment to change the trajectory of federal funding and put an end to wasteful spending, especially on initiatives that received billions of dollars outside of the normal appropriations process.
"Even with a Democrat as President, a divided Congress, and a slim Majority, House Republicans, led by Speaker Johnson, maintained longstanding legacy riders that Democrats sought to repeal, rejected harmful policies proposed in the President's Budget and Senate bills, and fought for and secured conservative wins."
Update 03/05/24, 8:08 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Harris.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Aliss Higham is a Newsweek reporter based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her focus is reporting on issues across the U.S., including ... Read more
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