FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2007

Ag Committee Republicans Vote to Protect States’ Rights
Supported Amendment to Allow States to Determine Best Method to Administer Programs

WASHINGTON – Late Wednesday evening, as the House Committee on Agriculture considered the 2007 farm bill, Republicans supported an amendment that would protect states’ rights to determine how to best administer the food stamp program based on individual state needs. The amendment would maintain the states’ current authority to make necessary changes in order to modernize and improve the delivery and accountability of the food stamp program including contracting out certain administrative operations to private entities. Despite Committee Republicans’ ardent support of the provision, the measure was defeated by the Democratic Majority.

Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) offered Amendment #35, Changes to Program Design, to ensure that states, not the federal government, continue to be allowed to determine the best methods to administer food stamp benefits to recipients. “My amendment simply restored the authority of the states to determine how best to administer their programs. States have the right and duty to provide the best service to its citizens. Unfortunately, the majority of my colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee removed this option and voted to punish states who are attempting to modernize,” said Rep. Boustany.

Ranking Member Bob Goodlatte supported Rep. Boustany’s amendment and urged his Democratic colleagues not to undermine the rights of the states by removing a viable option for states to be able to meet the needs of its residents. “This discussion is not about whether privatization or government-run is better than the other. It is about the right of each state to determine which option works best. This Committee should not get involved in states deciding how to effectively administer programs to their residents. This is a state issue and we should not presume that we know better than the states,” said Ranking Member Goodlatte.

After denying the states the right to choose the best way to administer the food stamp program by defeating the amendment, freshman Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) offered an amendment granting Indiana immunity from the language. Currently, Indiana is the only state that has privatized some administrative functions of its food stamp administration. This measure was also defeated.

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