House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) delivered the following opening statement at today's markup of "Committee print to comply with reconciliation directives included in H. Con. Res. 14 Section 2001(b)(1):
Remarks as prepared:
Good evening, and welcome to tonight’s markup.
The legislation before us today is a necessary component to prevent the largest tax increase in American history on our families, farmers, and small businesses—and to deliver critical funding necessary for the Trump Administration to continue their work keeping Americans safe.
More specifically, our reconciliation instructions provide the opportunity to restore integrity to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to make sure this essential program works for the most vulnerable and functions as Congress intended.
Additionally, it allows for vital investment in our farm bill programs, addressing immediate needs for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. By putting the farm back in the farm bill, Congress will be better able to deliver a full, long-term reauthorization of a highly effective farm bill.
In this measure, we achieve our savings and meet our reconciliation instructions through necessary SNAP reforms, requiring states to have some skin in the game and encouraging more effective and efficient administration of the program, all while getting folks who can work back to work. Since 2019, SNAP costs have skyrocketed from $60 billion to $110 billion annually – an 83% increase, while enrollment has grown from 36 million to 42 million.
Unlike every other state-administered entitlement program, the SNAP benefit is 100 percent funded by the Federal government, resulting in minimal incentive for states to control costs, enhance efficiencies, and improve outcomes for recipients.
Despite low unemployment and seven million available jobs across the country, less than one-third of able-bodied adults on SNAP who are supposed to be working to receive the benefit have earned income.
Unfortunately, the bipartisan work requirement that has been enshrined in the law for decades has been skirted by the executive branch and states, leaving forty percent of those subject to the work requirement living under a waiver.
Unless Congress acts to restore integrity to the work requirement, millions of able-bodied adults will remain on the sidelines, disconnected from work, and out of reach of the ladder of opportunity.
Meanwhile, states that administer the program collectively make close to $13 billion per year in erroneous payments-- both overpayments and underpayments-- to participants in the SNAP program. This number has nearly doubled since 2019. This is a slap in the face to taxpayers, but more importantly, it is a disservice to the truly needy who rely on SNAP.
We also know most states are out of compliance with processing SNAP applications on time, leaving eligible families in need waiting months for assistance.
Clearly, SNAP is not working as Congress intended. We must ensure the proper incentives are in place for states to administer the program more effectively for those it serves, and this measure does just that- by aligning SNAP with other state-administered programs and requiring a minimal benefit cost share on the states.
I believe the success of SNAP should be measured in terms of individual outcomes, meanwhile, my colleagues across the aisle appear only to care about maximizing federal outlays. An efficiently delivered benefit, with a meaningful incentive to work toward independence, is a win for the taxpayer and for the SNAP recipient.
Now, back to the farm provisions…Since the 2018 Farm Bill was enacted, input costs have skyrocketed, commodity prices are down, and the margin squeeze has every major commodity underwater, with some in their 3rd consecutive year of losses. These are dire circumstances akin to the 1980s. By the end of 2024, farm debt reached its highest level in more than 50 years. Declining prices, soaring input costs, and increasingly frequent natural disasters are pushing producers to the edge.
In fact, the Agriculture and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M has stated that in their 42 years of keeping records, the prognosis for farm profitability is the worst they have ever seen. If we fail to act, we risk a full-blown financial crisis that could devastate the food and ag supply chain.
Row crop farmers are dealing with volatile markets and rising costs. Livestock producers face heavy regulatory burdens and animal disease outbreaks. Specialty crop growers are fighting labor shortages and supply chain issues. And those in the dairy industry are managing unpredictable weather and market swings.
The solution is clear. We need a strong farm safety net and forward-looking policy that offers producers real certainty. Tonight, we will hear much consternation on the other side about investing achieved savings into programs that will sustain but also strengthen our rural communities.
I assume my colleagues need reminding of contemporary farm bills where farmers were stripped of billions in exchange for additional funds in nutrition, or where nutrition saw a 1 percent decrease in the deficit reduction exercise of 2014, yet farmers had to face an astonishing 25 percent cut.
All Americans demand that we prioritize and steward finite taxpayer resources. And that’s the new path we begin down today. This text encompasses many unanimous, bipartisan priorities shared by each of you and incorporated in this bill, including trade promotion, research, and various specialty crop programs.
The combined package before us today bolsters every facet of American agriculture. It restores integrity to SNAP—a vital social safety net—invests in America’s farmers, ranchers, and foresters, and helps ensure a robust rural economy for our next generation.
I am proud of this legislation and look forward to advancing it to the next stage in the process.
