SNAP benefits were front and center this week in front of the House Ag Committee, and work requirements were a big focus.
South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson says none of the proposed cuts would hurt those who truly need the help.
“Do any of the existing work requirements impact pregnant women? Do any of them impact those with disabilities? Do any of them impact those people who live in areas with high unemployment?”
“No. Depending on how you define high, but yes, if high unemployment, no, the states can waive them.”
“Do any of them impact people who have young dependents at home? Okay, Mr. Chairman, I would observe that so much of the demonization that is done around work requirements have actually no evidentiary basis. With that, I would yield back.”
House Ag Committee Chair GT Thompson says putting more able-bodied Americans to work is a win-win. Democrats largely pushed back on those changes. USDA found around $10 billion in overpayments were made to SNAP recipients in 2023, with some making those errors two years in a row.
In an exclusive interview with RFD News correspondent Frank McCaffrey, Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX) expresses frustration with delays and increasing political divisions surrounding the bill.
New farm payment rules allow LLC members to have separate limits, but some local FSA offices are still applying outdated policies, creating confusion for producers.
Reliance on vegetable imports remains uneven, with domestic production still anchoring several major categories.
Utah Senator John Curtis joins us for “Champions of Rural America” to discuss new legislation to improve forest management and wildfire prevention and its broader implications for rural communities and infrastructure.
NRECA CEO Jim Matheson joins us to discuss rural electric co-ops’ push for expanded USDA loan programs, rising energy demand from data center expansion, wildfire mitigation and other policy priorities impacting rural power infrastructure.
StoneX’s Josh Linville discusses USDA’s efforts to boost domestic fertilizer production and his outlook on supply and prices.
