House Republicans are proposing to double their food stamp savings to nearly $40 billion by rolling back waivers for able-bodied adults and targeting funds to states that are willing to impose greater work requirements on the parents of young children.
The prime mover is Majority Leader Eric Cantor who has used a select working group of conservatives to help shape the package. His goal is to have legislation in hand which the House can vote on in early September.
Kantor’s prime target appears to be able-bodied beneficiaries under 50 years old and without dependents — a population that has grown significantly since 2008 because of the bad economy and increased state waivers of a 20-hour-a-week work requirement. Large savings are possible by rolling back these waivers, essentially by forcing millions off the rolls if they don’t find work after three months. A second area of more modest but still controversial savings would come from using federal funds to pressure states to take a more aggressive welfare reform-like approach imposing work requirements on able-bodied parents with young children.
Sources: Politico, 8/1/13, House Nutrition Bill; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 8/2/13, Nutrition Bill
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