WASHINGTON, April 10, 2014 – The House approved today a fiscal year 2015 budget proposal (H.Con.Res.96), on a 219-205 vote, that aims to reduce federal spending by $5.1 trillion over 10 years and includes spending cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and mandatory agricultural outlays.
The proposal, authored by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., would cut $125 billion from the SNAP program as well as cut $23 billion from mandatory agricultural outlays, which could include reductions to crop insurance.
The bill received the support of 219 Republicans and no Democrats. In opposition were 193 Democrats and 12 Republicans. The bill will not advance in the Senate.
Most of the projected savings in Ryan’s bill would come from a repeal of President Obama’s health care law, changes to Medicare benefits for retirees, and slashes to “wasteful” spending in a myriad of government agencies.
The White House panned the legislation today, saying the House vote “illustrates once again that the House Republicans’ view of the economy is a top-down approach that cuts taxes for millionaires and could raise taxes on middle class families with kids by an average of at least $2,000.”
Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., said he voted against the legislation because “this extreme Tea Party-inspired budget would wreak havoc on my district and communities across America.” Garamendi said, under the bill, construction would cease on levees in flood-prone Sacramento Valley communities, and agricultural researchers at universities would see their work halted. The lawmaker said the proposed SNAP cuts would take food away from millions of lower-income children, seniors and disabled people.
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