House Bill Would Cut $4B a Year From Food Stamps

The House is expected to consider a bill this week that would cut food stamps by around $4 billion annually, and allow states to put broad new work requirements in place for recipients.

The legislation would end government waivers that have allowed able-bodied adults who don’t have dependents to receive food stamps indefinitely.

The vote comes after the House defeated a wide-ranging farm bill in June because many conservatives believed the cuts to the nearly $80 billion-a-year food stamp program weren’t high enough. That bill would have made around $2 billion a year in cuts.

One in seven Americans use food stamps, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The costs of the program have more than doubled in the past five years.