Van Orden and GOP colleagues advance food stamp cuts through House Agriculture Committee
Early Friday morning, Republicans in the House Agriculture Committee advanced a bill that would cut SNAP benefits and weaken environmental protections if passed into law.
Early Friday morning, Republicans in the House Agriculture Committee advanced a bill that would cut SNAP benefits and weaken environmental protections if passed into law.
The legislation, known as the Farm Bill, passed mostly on party lines through the Republican-controlled Agriculture Committee after a vote of 33-21. Just four Democrats joined all Republicans on the committee in getting the $1.5 trillion spending bill passed.
Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R) heavily endorsed the bill during the committee and on social media, where he claimed it will “deliver for our farmers and agricultural producers.”
The 2024 Farm Bill has PASSED out of the House Agriculture Committee on a bipartisan vote.
We said we would deliver for our farmers and agricultural producers, and we did. pic.twitter.com/FuZux8nJfC
— Rep. Derrick Van Orden Press Office (@RepVanOrden) May 24, 2024
Despite overwhelming Republican support, Democrats took the GOP to task for supporting a bill that would cut an estimated $30 billion from the SNAP food assistance program over the next ten years, according to a report from the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The Farm Bill will also reportedly allow states to outsource the SNAP program’s process for determining which households are eligible to private corporations, potentially making it harder for families to enroll.
In addition to the SNAP cuts, the Farm Bill would also reportedly slash animal welfare protections and pesticide restrictions, along with banning nearly all delta-8 THC products.
Van Orden is running for his second term in office to represent Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District. After a scandal last year where Van Orden allegedly cursed out a group of teenage congressional pages taking pictures in the Capitol building, the freshman representative was hit with an ethics complaint after a report of him being intoxicated during the incident was released.
In addition to Van Orden, the Farm Bill was approved by other Midwestern Reps. like Glenn Thompson (R-PA), Mike Bost (R-IL) and Max Miller (R-OH).
