Harris: Address SNAP work requirements in debt ceiling, not farm bill

A key House lawmaker defended the tightening of work requirements in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as a way to reduce federal spending, in an interview on Agri-Pulse Newsmakers. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, called the SNAP program “too lenient,” and said with unemployment rates at current levels, no states should be getting waivers from SNAP work requirements. He also said the House-passed debt ceiling bill, which would raise the age for work requirements from 49 to 55, is the proper legislative vehicle to address the work regulations – not the farm bill. “I think the most appropriate place to do it is now in the debt ceiling,” he said. When asked if Americans should be worried about a default, Harris said, “I don’t think so at all.” Read more