In the News

By Joan McCarter

House and Senate conferees are meeting to reconcile the two chambers' budgets, and one Democratic member, Rep. Gwen Moore (WI-04) has one mission.
 

"Not to cut anymore out of SNAP," the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as food stamps, she told ThinkProgress. "Not to block grant it. Not to block grant Medicaid." Protect Pell Grants and other safety net programs from cuts. "I think that if we could get away with those things, it would be a good day. […] What we suspect…is that the House Republicans and Senate Republicans will get together and come up with a package of their agreements, and Democrats will be excluded from that conversation," she said.

But there are still ways she plans to flex some power. Both the House and Senate Republican budgets proposed block-granting SNAP, which would give states a fixed amount of money to administer the program and result in an estimated $125 billion cut, or more than a third of the program. The idea came up again in the first committee meeting. "There were extensive conversations in the House budget committee about giving states more flexibility with SNAP," Moore noted. "We know that is proxy language for wanting to turn SNAP into a block grant, which would be absolutely catastrophic."

But Democrats aren't prepared to let them mess with the program. Moore even mentioned her opposition to SNAP cuts as one of the few specific items in her opening remarks. "If they try to use the budget reconciliation process to cut SNAP," which would expedite any changes by only requiring a simple majority to approve them, "they'll open up the Farm Bill and literally be opening up a can of worms in terms of the other provisions," she promised. Such a move would put far more than just food stamps on the table, also including provisions for farms and agriculture. "That would be very different."

Whatever Republicans in the conference committee try to do, they won't be doing in secret thanks to the commitment of Democrats like Moore who will shine a light on the process. The conference report this committee ends up with won't be legally binding, but it will be a guide to the appropriators, and if the Republicans command massive cuts, the appropriations committees will have some cover to try to enact them. A Democrat or two willing to play hardball—like threatening the parts of the Farm Bill Republicans and Republican voters like—does give the minority some power here. Remembering that the next election is just next year—and reminding Republicans of that—is a good policy, too.

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