Let’s not stop to count what Trump’s global tariffs have done to the markets. Dear Reader … you know the damage and so do I.
But now we have a New Farm Bill voted on by the House. It offers $187 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cuts and will make it even more difficult for people to qualify. Adults and undocumented immigrants were targeted and once again, House Republicans blamed fraud.
“FRAUD” is the word Republicans always use when they want to cut any and every kind of assistance to hungry people and the working class who can’t quite keep up with the inflation on every-day-living costs caused by the tariffs and the tax breaks that keep flying towards the billionaires.
However, the people on the ground, those who run the food banks, say that people cut from SNAP are joining the lines at food banks, and this leaves the food bank managers/owners — often churches and other “do-good” social organizations — out in the cold.
One way to frame this is that the House-passed farm bill fails to understand that it doesn’t take long for food policy to affect food supplies.
Policy to Production to Markets to Plate
Risk
Higher! Food Prices, Food Shortages, and Hunger!
Jillian Hishaw, Esq., LL.M. in agricultural law and founder of the nonprofit F.A.R.M.S., which has operated a national food bank program in rural communities for 13 years, says he has never seen it this bad. It isn’t only cuts in SNAP and food banks, but in the bigger picture, cuts in farm program do not make up for the damage tariffs have done. Nor does the measly $12 billion that was tossed out to farmers from USDA to make up the financial damage and this did not come close to making farmers whole. The first time Trump was president, he made up the damage with $42 billion to make ups the damage caused by his playing around with tariffs. This time is worse, but the cost is greater.
It is unlikely that commodity programs, conservation programs, and crop insurance can make up the difference, which leaves the fragile … VERY FRAGILE! … food production system in more trouble. Farmers, ranchers, and all the people who live in the small towns, and up and down the country roads of rural America have already been affected, and the House farm bill did not seek to help.
The bill has moved on to the Senate. It will take 60 votes to pass the Senate, which means Republicans will be forced to work with Democrats. Hopefully, that will help …. to be continued …