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NFFC Calls on the Government to Prioritize People, Not Profit
Last week, the House of Representatives approved a divisive budget that will make historic cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and many other essential programs - all to fund tax cuts for the wealthy and multinational corporations. The bill will now move to the Senate for a vote this summer.
In a statement we released last week, NFFC strongly opposed the $300 million in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) included by the House Agriculture Committee. SNAP generates revenue throughout the economy, and many farmers rely on income from SNAP recipients choosing spending their dollars on locally-grown food. SNAP cuts will harm farmers and working families, entrenching an already unbalanced food system favoring the largest farms.
The bill's passage comes on the heels of another month of prolonged uncertainty for the numerous farmers who rely on public programs and services. In our official statement on April 24, we strongly opposed further USDA closures and layoffs. The decision to shrink the department at a time when demand for its services already exceeds capacity would hasten a worsening farm crisis driven by persistently volatile prices and declining farm income. Farmers and communities across the country require a fully functional and funded USDA.
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