The Agriculture Department on Thursday proposed a rule to more strictly enforce existing work requirements on more food-stamp recipients by reining in states’ ability to waive time restrictions.
The release of the rule comes on the same day President Donald Trump is expected to sign the farm bill into law — and the timing is no accident.
The proposal, which was initially expected to be released before the midterm elections, is the administration’s response to concessions House Republicans made on food stamps in the final bill. The bill doesn’t mandate stricter work requirements or tighten eligibility criteria for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, which accounts for more than three-quarters of farm bill spending.
The White House and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue had backed the House Republican efforts to overhaul SNAP. Trump used his Twitter platform to press for stronger work requirements, even late into conference negotiations, where food stamps were a major sticking point.
Ultimately, the farm bill dispensed with all of the House GOP’s controversial SNAP proposals, and left out an effort by Senate Agriculture leaders that could have blocked USDA’s regulatory action.
