SNAP
South Dakota congressman advocates expansion of work requirements for federal food aid
WASHINGTON — Republican South Dakota U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson introduced a bill Tuesday aimed at expanding work requirements for federal nutrition aid, reigniting a perennial conflict over how Congress navigates both the farm bill and federal spending. “Work is the best pathway out of poverty,” Johnson, who in his home state has talked about growing […]
U.S. Senate panel spars over elevated food assistance spending in upcoming farm bill
WASHINGTON – Members of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee split along party lines on last week as they tussled over financial accountability in farm bill nutrition programs. The main point of contention was the Department of Agriculture’s 2021 changes to the Thrifty Food Plan, one of four food plans the USDA develops […]
U.S. Senate panel debates safety net spending in upcoming farm bill
WASHINGTON — Members of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee quibbled last week over spending on crop insurance and ad-hoc disaster relief, previewing potential fights in the 2023 farm bill. Legislators of both parties emphasized their support at a Thursday hearing for better funding programs that protect underserved producers, and accounting for future natural […]
U.S. House agriculture leaders discuss anti-hunger measures in upcoming farm bill
WASHINGTON — The new Republican chairman of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee and a top Democrat on the panel on Wednesday laid out anti-hunger initiatives Congress could tackle in the upcoming farm bill. During a panel discussion, Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson of Pennsylvania, the new head of the Agriculture Committee, said he believes members of […]
Ohio AG joins with other AGs in suit against gender inclusion language in food benefits
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has signed on to a lawsuit pushing back against federal rewrites to include anti-discrimination language in food assistance programs. Attorneys General from more than 20 states filed suit in federal court against the U.S. Department of Agriculture over a memorandum regarding the Food and Nutrition Services complaint policy on gender […]
Formula shortage exposes familiar weakness in our safety net
Last week, the Ohio Department of Health requested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services allow greater flexibility in its social assistance programs around baby formula. The program the Ohio Department of Health is most interested in is the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, one of the […]
Study: Child poverty, family stability see major impacts during pandemic
A new study shows the coronavirus pandemic erased gains against child poverty and family stability, among other indicators of child wellbeing in the state. Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio’s annual “kids count” profile used 16 wellbeing categories in the areas of health care, safety, homes and communities, finance and education, which leaders of CDF say show areas […]
SNAP “asset tests” removed from state budget
State lawmakers removed two provisions from the state budget that would have made food stamps more difficult to access for poor Ohioans. Senate Republicans earlier this month proposed two changes to how the state administers benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. One would impose an “asset test” on recipients, which eliminates their benefits if […]
Senate budget calls for “asset tests” for poor Ohioans seeking food stamps
The Ohio Senate added to its budget proposal a provision requiring the state to cut off food stamp assistance for poor Ohioans if their households save up $2,250 or more. It also imposes a requirement known as “change reporting.” This forces Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program clients to report every fluctuation in income — things like […]
Study: Work requirements for SNAP don’t increase employment numbers
New policy research suggests imposing work requirements upon people who receive food stamps can slash benefit rolls by more than 50% without producing much to gain in employment or wages. The National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, authored by five economists, casts doubt on the notion that imposing work requirements to obtain benefits will […]
Vilsack keys in on food insecurity and nutrition in USDA budget request
WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday laid out USDA’s goals to expand food insecurity and nutrition programs in the president’s budget request, as well as the agency’s focus on programs to address longtime racial discrimination. “Normally I would talk to you all about numbers in the budget,” Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa, […]
Pandemic disparities mirrored pre-existing conditions for low-income families, minorities, report shows
An annual report analyzing how children faired in the nation in the last year showed harrowing effects from COVID-19, but mainly found the same disparities that existed before the pandemic. The study conducted by the advocacy group Children’s Defense Fund, which has a chapter in Ohio, used federal and state data, along with statistics from […]