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Cotton harvesting in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana on Oct. 10, 2013. The farm bill governs farm subsidies, which encourages planting of soybeans, cotton and other crops. Photographer: Ty Wright/Bloomberg
bloomberg.com - by Alan Bjerga - January 29, 2014
The U.S. House passed and sent the Senate a much-delayed bill to set agricultural policy for five years, as rural Republicans and urban Democrats overcame objections about farm subsidies and food-stamp cuts.
. . . The bill would cut food-stamp spending by $8.6 billion over 10 years, though additions to other programs bring nutrition-aid cuts down to $8 billion -- one-fifth of the $40 billion sought by Republicans and fought by Democrats and food retailers. The reduction would equal about 1 percent of the program’s record $79.6 billion in spending for the budget year that ended Sept. 30.
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How the New Farm Bill Cuts $8 Billion From Food Stamps
wsj.com - by Kristina Peterson - January 28, 2014
If there’s one key number to the fate of the new five-year farm bill deal unveiled Monday night, it’s the roughly $8 billion cut over 10 years to food-stamp funding. Spending on nutrition programs sank an earlier version of the farm bill in the House and is considered the most partisan issue in the 949-page bill.
The new deal finds its food-stamp savings by increasing the level of federal heating assistance required to trigger higher benefits among recipients, according to aides.
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More Food Stamp Cuts for 15 States and District of Columbia
examiner.com - by William Lambers - January 30, 2014
Bread for the World said today that fifteen states and the District of Columbia would bear the brunt of new cuts by Congress to the food stamp (SNAP) program.
SNAP is intended to give struggling families a safety net so they can afford food. However, around 850,000 low-income households will now lose about $90 in monthly SNAP benefits.
. . . The states impacted include California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
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