Advancing farm bill stirs worries that Alaskans could lose food stamps benefits

WASHINGTON — Food security advocates are worried that legislation working its way through Congress could cause thousands of Alaskans, particularly in rural areas, to lose "food stamp" benefits and add an untenable layer of bureaucracy for the already-strapped state government.

Congressional leaders are working to find a compromise between House and Senate farm bills before the prior version expires at the end of the month. Despite its name, 80 percent of the farm bill is actually devoted to food security, through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as "food stamps." (Other parts of the bill cover commodities, conservation and trade.)

Food advocates in Alaska are worried that the House version of the bill could prevail and cut dramatically into benefits for out-of-work or under-paid Alaskans. So are the state's two U.S. Senators, who voted against adding stricter work requirements to the SNAP program in the Senate version of the bill.

Congress is expected to spend roughly $70 billion a year from 2019 to 2023 on SNAP, with both the House and Senate version increasing spending by billions of dollars. Nationally, 42 million people receive SNAP benefits. In Alaska, an average of 89,000 people receive the benefits annually.

Read more: https://www.adn.com/politics/2018/09/08/advancing-farm-bill-stirs-worries-that-alaskans-could-lose-food-stamps-benefits/