More discussion of the "heat or eat" provisions of the Farm Bill

USDA Secretary Vilsack testified before the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee yesterday. At the hearing, Republican members of Congress pressed the Secretary with concerns about the now seven states that have taken action to avert the farm bill heat and eat cut. The farm bill heat and eat cut impacted 16 states but 7 have taken action to avoid the cuts by allocating state resources to meet the new $20.01 floor for the minimum level of LIHEAP benefits before a SNAP household can take the heat and eat option.

At the hearing, Agriculture Appropriations Chairman Robert Aderholt said it appears the states are trying to circumvent farm bill language designed to deter the "heat-and-eat" practice. "It boils down to the intent of Congress. They didn't intend for governors to artificially raise the (heating assistance payment) so people can continue to qualify," he said. Aderholt said he planned to raise the issue with House Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas. “One federal program should not be manipulated in order to get more federal dollars from another,” Aderholt said.

In an interview later, House Agriculture Chairman Lucas said that states' decisions to meet the new minimum payment are refocusing attention on the connection between the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the SNAP, characterizing the efforts by states as an effort "to mine the treasury." "Whether it gets addressed in calendar year 2014 or not, it could become a very high profile issue in calendar year 2015, maybe 2016, maybe 2017. The political lay of the land might be dramatically different in 2016 or 2017. The concern expressed by a number of my colleagues is that this is just a way [by the states] to squeeze money out of the treasury," Lucas said. Cucas suggested that Congress may decide that the link between the two programs should be eliminated entirely.

At this time, no legislation has been introduced to further amend SNAP heat and eat policy. While it is unlikely that lawmakers will want to reopen the farm bill, it is likely that we will see amendments offered or legislation introduced as messaging vehicles.

USDA Food and Nutrition Service Under Secretary Kevin Concannon told the appropriations committee that states were simply exercising an option the farm bill gave them to raise SNAP benefits for people who qualify for food aid. Concannon said that if Congress had wanted to end the practice, it should have clearly prohibited it. He also stressed that the LIHEAP-SNAP connection has no effect on whether a household qualifies for SNAP, only on the amount of benefits for which they qualify.

 

Source:  Feeding America