Unlike the House farm bill, the Senate farm bill was a bipartisan effort throughout the process.The overwhelmingly bipartisan support of the Senate farm bill demonstrates that a farm bill that protects food assistance for low-income Utahns is the right way forward.
The Senate farm bill affirms that SNAP is one of our nation’s most powerful and effective poverty-reduction programs. It also builds on the strong history of SNAP supporting work by dedicating more funding for states to try innovative solutions to help SNAP participants get and keep a job. By contrast, the House farm bill created more punitive work requirements, without sufficient funding programs to help people find work.
We thank Senator Hatch for supporting the Senate farm bill and rejecting an amendment that would have taken away food assistance from many Utahns, and imposed burdensome requirements on SNAP participants and our state. As the House and Senate now turn to negotiating a final version of the farm bill in conference, we urge Senator Hatch to continue standing up for Utahns by working with his colleagues to ensure that the final version continues to protect SNAP.
We are disappointed that Senator Lee voted in favor of an amendment that would have made it more difficult for low-income Utahns to access food assistance, and are further disappointed that he voted against the overall bill.
As we turn to negotiations on a final farm bill, Utahns Against Hunger urges both our Senators, and our House delegation, to support a bipartisan farm bill that protects SNAP. The success of the farm bill in the Senate demonstrates the power of bipartisanship, and why both chambers need to continue to reach across the aisle in order to move the business of Congress forward and to represent all of their constituents.