House Republicans consider making Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) part of debt-limit fight

House Republicans are "considering new work requirements or general cuts to federal food assistance in the brewing debt limit fight," Politico reports. That could complicate work on the new five-year Farm Bill, in which the big ticket is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

House Appropriations Committeee Chair Kay Granger confirmed to Politico's Weekly Agriculture that the ideas are being considered. “We're still looking at it. Haven't made a decision yet,” Granger said when asked if food assistance spending cuts or new SNAP work requirements are on the table.

"Some Republicans think they’ll have a better chance of pursuing their yearslong effort to cut back on SNAP spending and add work requirements in debt negotiations rather than in the Farm Bill, where Democrats are likely to strip it out," Meredith Lee Hill and Garrett Downs report.

But Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson told Politico that he would be “shocked” if SNAP is touched in the debt-ceiling battle. "He wants to leave any SNAP discussions for the Farm Bill talks," Hill and Downs report. "Emergency pandemic-era SNAP benefits are ending this month. And, work requirements that had been paused during the pandemic are returning as well as the public health emergency is set to end in May."

Thompson, who was on food stamps (now SNAP) as a young adult, said, “I don't think it's appropriate, especially given the fact that so many families are struggling under this Biden inflation . . . which makes it tough.”

But the talk of work requirements "is sure to bring back congressional debate over able-bodied adults without dependents," Hill and Downs write. "ABAWDs are usually the target of imposed work requirements, but vulnerable populations might not be able to verify their work."