By Brian Burton

When a senior is downsized at work and finds re-employment in their field difficult, or when a mother struggles to secure employment that occurs only during school hours so that she can be there for her kids, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is there to help them put food on the table.

SNAP is one of our nation’s most effective anti-poverty programs, keeping more than eight million people out of poverty—including nearly four million children. SNAP primarily helps children, seniors, veterans and the disabled, who make up about 70 percent of all SNAP recipients. Of the other 30 percent, most are the working poor, those who need help putting food on the table despite earning pay through employment.

SNAP is under threat as some members of the U.S. House of Representatives advance harmful, indiscriminate cuts and changes to this critical program as part of the 2018 Farm Bill (H.R.2). House leadership is attempting to gather the votes needed to pass the Farm Bill on Thursday.

The House version of the 2018 Farm Bill takes an axe to SNAP, cutting benefits by $17 billion over the next 10 years by further expanding already rigid work requirements – requirements that take away a person’s food assistance if he or she doesn't work a certain number of hours per month. This equates to food-insecure individuals and families across the country losing access to about 1.6 million meals per day for the next 10 years.

If the farm bill passes, adults over 50 years of age, who have the most difficulty securing re-employment, would no longer benefit from an exemption to the work requirement. Meaning, if he or she is downsized or laid off, he or she could lose SNAP benefits. A working mom who doesn’t have sick leave, and loses her job for missing work due to illness, caring for a sick child or a family emergency – would lose SNAP benefits when she needs them most. No longer would a stay-at-home parent or parent who works while her children are in school receive an exemption.

The indignity of the work requirement for these two groups of recipients is in the time limits for which they can receive SNAP. These two groups are able to receive SNAP for only three months out of every 36. For a parent or senior to have to wait 33 months before they are eligible to receive nutrition assistance through SNAP again is cruel. Such harmful policies undermine the strength of SNAP, resulting in increased food insecurity.

SNAP recipients between the ages of 18 and 49 who do not have children in the home already face strict work requirements. Imposing additional requirements on Americans does nothing to reduce food insecurity amongst the two most vulnerable populations: families with children and older adults.

That is why Three Square, Feeding America and the AARP strongly oppose the House version of the 2018 farm bill and are actively working to educate our lawmakers that their NO votes on this measure are critical to the safety net for tens of thousands of Southern Nevadans. Most of Nevada’s delegation including Congresswoman Dina Titus, Congresswoman Jacky Rosen and Congressman Ruben Kihuen have declared their opposition to the House version of the 2018 farm bill.

We appreciate their insight on these issues and encourage our entire Nevada delegation and members of Congress in other states to follow their lead.

Brian Burton is president and CEO of Three Square Food Bank.