Right now, Congress is debating a farm bill that will direct our agriculture and nutrition policy for the next several years.
The House and Senate passed two very different bills. That means they have to negotiate a compromise and pass one single bill.
The main difference between the two bills? The amount of money being cut from food stamps, now known as SNAP. Some want to gut the program. Others want to protect it.
On Nov. 1, every food stamp recipient saw benefits reduced.
Now, some in Congress want to double down on low-income Americans.
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Food stamps have become rather politically charged these days. Whether you support or oppose the program, we weaken our nation when we make it more difficult for families to put food on the table.
As somebody who thinks our government should not actively try to increase hunger in the U.S., I'd like to see our members of Congress work to pass a farm bill that protects anti-hunger programs and finds a better way to balance the budget than pulling the rug out from under Americans struggling to get by. Can't we find a better way to put our fiscal house in order?
Editor's note: this letter was published Nov. 23 in the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.
