DeLauro Statement on House Committee Passage of Republicans’ 2018 Farm Bill

WASHINGTON, DC (April 18, 2018) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro today released the following statement regarding the House Committee passage of the Republicans' 2018 Farm Bill.

"The majority's partisan farm bill, which passed the House Agriculture Committee earlier today on party lines, is a betrayal of working families and our most vulnerable—imposing onerous requirements on millions Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients and cutting program benefits by more than $23 billion. The food stamp program is essential to keep people from going hungry, helping more than 44 million Americans in 2016 alone, including nearly 35,000 families in Connecticut's Third District."

"Despite Republican talking points, this bill does not represent real reform. If Republicans were truly serious about reforming the farm bill, they would have included limits on agricultural subsidies provided for crop insurance—one of the few federal programs without eligibility caps or payment limits. Instead of working with Democrats in good faith, they are attempting to push through a blatantly one-sided bill."

DeLauro serves as Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for funding the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and is a senior Democrat on the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.