May 18, 2018

Today Representative Dina Titus of Nevada’s First Congressional District released the following statement on her opposition to H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2): 

“The Farm Bill that failed today was a partisan piece of legislation that would have made indefensible cuts and changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). One in seven Nevadans participates in SNAP, and more than 65 percent of Nevada participants are in families with children. I believe that we can and should be doing more to lift families out of poverty and end hunger in the U.S., and this bill did just the opposite. Republicans should abandon this dreadful piece of legislation and work with Democrats to produce a Farm Bill that does not hurt seniors, children, and people with disabilities.” 

Some of the bill’s harmful proposals include:

• A $23.3 billion dollar cut to SNAP and other program changes that would cause 2 million SNAP participants to lose their benefits or see them reduced.

• Taking away food assistance from those who cannot meet expanded work requirements, including the disabled and older workers.

• The elimination of Broad Based Categorical Eligibility, which would cause 265,000 students to lose access to free school meals.

• Requiring states to create an untested, underfunded workforce bureaucracy that is bankrolled by kicking SNAP recipients off the program.

• Severing the connection between the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and SNAP, forcing families to jump through extra hoops to get help with their utility bills.

• No longer requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to consult with wildlife agencies on pesticides’ impact on imperiled wildlife.

• Allowing the destruction of federal forests in Alaska by opening them to logging and roadbuilding.

• Preventing states from enforcing their own laws regarding the production of “agricultural products”, which would undermine states’ ability to enforce animal welfare laws.