WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that would cut $40 billion in funding for supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits, commonly known as food stamps.
The White House said President Obama would veto any bill with such drastic cuts.
Feeding America, a hunger-relief charity organization, said the House bill would cause four million people to lose SNAP benefits, while hundreds of thousands of others would see benefits greatly reduced.
The Senate and House must now reconcile drastically different bills in order to pass a comprehensive Farm Bill.
Read more: Retailers Arrested for Food Stamp Fraud
“The harmful plan championed today by House leadership would deny critical nutrition assistance for millions of Americans, including working families with children, senior citizens, veterans, and adults who are still looking for work,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.
“The Senate has passed a bipartisan Farm Bill two years running. Now it's time for House leadership to do their part by appointing conferees as soon as possible and completing the comprehensive bill that farmers, ranchers and rural Americans deserve.”
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