House Democrat says ‘really unfortunate’ Biden allowed food stamp changes in debt limitation deal

Representative of Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal on Sunday voiced her grievances over the deal reached between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the White House, saying she was disappointed that President Biden had authorized changes to government benefits such as food stamps.

The bipartisan agreement, which lawmakers are due to pass next week to avert default on the national debt, includes tougher work requirements for some adults to receive food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as the SNAP name.

“A terrible policy, an absolutely terrible policy, does not reduce spending. In fact, by some estimates, it creates a burden on administrative expenses that is actually worse for the overall cost of a program like this,” Washington Democrat Ms. Jayapal said on “State of the Union.” from CNN. “The average amount of assistance for SNAP, for example, is $6 a day. We’re talking about $6 a day, and I think it’s such a shame that the president opened the door to that.

The debt ceiling negotiation raises the compulsory working age for able-bodied adults without children from 49 to 54 and exempts veterans or the homeless. The changes will last until 2030.

Work requirements are also expanded for the temporary assistance program for needy families.

Ms Jayapal said she was unsure if she would be able to support the legislation, which includes a series of spending cuts demanded by Republicans. His frustration was reminiscent of the broader dissatisfaction within his progressive caucus over concessions made by the White House on a host of issues, particularly job requirements that many Democrats saw as a red line.

“We are one of the only countries in the world, if not the only country in the world, that is an industrialized country that places demands on people who just want food,” Ms Jayapal said. “We’ve seen tons of data that shows that when you build in these work requirements, it’s really just red tape that keeps people who need help from getting help.”