Experts say the safety net for the poor and vulnerable should be strengthened, not cut. Not even a little.

The Senate pushed its version of a Farm Bill through a procedural cloture vote on Thursday, paving the way for a full Senate debate on the massive piece of legislation that will guide agricultural and food policy over the next five years.

A worker unloads a pallet of food at a warehouse in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/MCT) Advocates for the poor, however, are up in arms as representatives from both major political parties are readying dramatic cuts to the nation’s food assistance program that will negatively impact millions of the nation’s most vulnerable families.

As the new Farm Bill moves towards its final stage in the Senate, proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) threaten to cut at least $4 billion from the key program over the next decade.

Michigan’s Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow, who authored large portions of the Senate’s bill, has defended the slashed funding to SNAP by saying the cuts are not nearly as drastic as those put forth by the GOP-controlled House.

But anti-poverty advocates, not to mention numerous economists, say the current economy demands increased support for those living on or near the edge of hunger, not an erosion of the life-saving assistance.

Continue reading Democrat and Republican Senators Agree to Cut Food Stamps →