House Democrats, led by Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), are warning that Republican proposals to slash $230 billion — primarily from SNAP — via the budget reconciliation measure could sabotage bipartisan efforts to pass a new farm bill. Craig said cutting a core title of the bill would eliminate a key pay-for and fracture the longstanding coalition of agriculture and nutrition advocates essential to farm bill passage. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) bluntly stated, “There will be no farm bill if SNAP is gutted.”
GOP leaders signaled openness to bypassing bipartisanship by including some farm provisions in their reconciliation plan. House Ag Chair GT Thompson (R-Pa.) rejected claims of benefit cuts, saying changes target errors and future adjustments.
Democrats are introducing legislation to block SNAP and Medicaid cuts, aiming to rally moderate GOP members. The farm bill, last passed in 2018, is already facing long odds amid economic strain, tariff impacts and funding disputes.
