Abraham wants work requirements for people who get SNAP benefits

Congress is taking steps to bring a Farm Bill to the president’s desk. Wednesday, members of Congress met at the Farm Bill Conference Committee hearing trying to get the House and Senate to agree on a bill. The sticking point for Congressman Ralph Abraham are provisions for adults who get food stamps. Specifically, there would be requirements to qualify for the program that gives food stamps, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).

It means that all adults who are not physically or mentally disabled, or who have small children to care for, will need to work, continue their education to help find a job, or volunteer twenty hours a week.

"What this SNAP reform on the house side would do is it would allow them to either get that good job or train for that good job with some education,” says Abraham. He says this reform would even pay for some education for people, and “I always call this an on-ramp to success."

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities says 75 percent of these people are already working, though.

Congressman Abraham says the bill will impact all Americans who make and eat food.

This bill would also address trade, crop insurance for ranchers, farmers, and foresters and even address conservation plans for land management. “It does address trade, it addresses young ranchers who want to come into farming because our average farmer is over 60 years old,” says Abraham. “It goes on and on there's a lot of really good things in this farm bill."

Abraham says that it’s essential to help the families that own small farms because they're the backbone of the farming industry.