Letters: Senate version of proposed Farm Bill should be framework for final bill

Dear Editor:

About one in 10 people living in the 7^th Congressional District, including many of our region’s children, families, veterans and people with disabilities – friends and neighbors we know, love and care for — struggle to put food on the table. Despite record lows in our state’s unemployment rate, net farm incomes are at a 12-year low and with the trade uncertainty in agricultural markets, hardworking families around here are having some tough times.

This is why the 2018 Farm Bill is so important. Not only does it set our nation’s agricultural policy, it also funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as FoodShare in Wisconsin), our nation’s signature anti-hunger program. In the 7^th District, 33,000 households with a median income of $20,000 receive a modest benefit every month through SNAP to help them buy groceries.

Right now, the future of SNAP is in jeopardy as Congress must reconcile two very different versions of the Farm Bill as it relates to our nation’s cornerstone hunger-relief program.

The House version would make broad cuts to SNAP and impose harsh time limits, which would cut millions of low-income Americans and almost 100,000 Wisconsinites off SNAP. These severe cuts to SNAP would significantly increase the demand at social service agencies and would increase the risk of hunger for our friends and neighbors. According to our state legislative fiscal bureau, some of the changes would cut SNAP access for almost 75,000 Wisconsinites, including over 23,000 kids.

The Senate version would improve SNAP by strengthening support for workers and employers, maintain SNAP’s already strong work requirements and make commonsense improvements to strengthen program integrity and reduce fraud. These bipartisan provisions would improve SNAP without sacrificing access for children, families, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities.

To us, the choice is clear. The Senate version presents an optimistic, bipartisan, forward-looking farm bill that keeps SNAP strong, effective and accessible. It ensures that all families facing hunger have the nutrition they need to work, learn and live healthier lives and it should be the framework for the final farm bill that Congress sends to the President.

As Rep. Sean Duffy prepares for important negotiations on the Farm Bill, we urge him to fight for Wisconsin children and families by ensuring the Senate’s bipartisan provisions that preserve access to SNAP and make sensible changes to support workers and employers are included in the final bill.

Jeff Sargent, executive director/CEO of United Way of Marathon County

Patti Habeck, president of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin

Rev. Rob MacDougall, associate conference minister of Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ

Paula Jero, executive director of Marshfield Area United Way

Thomas Rau, executive director of The Neighbors’ Place

Editor’s note: The views of our readers are independent of this newspaper and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wausau Pilot and Review. To submit a letter, email [email protected] or mail to P.O. Box 532, Wausau, Wis., 54402-0532.