WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Andy Barr released the following statement after voting for H.R. 3102, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013, which passed the House by a vote of 217-210:
“Today, I voted to restore accountability and much-needed fiscal responsibility to an important federal program that has grown to unsustainable levels. These commonsense reforms to our food stamp program will achieve nearly $40 billion in savings, while increasing funding for food banks. The bill will provide a full $725 billion in food assistance to families and children in need over the next ten years. This legislation is the most compassionate policy because it encourages people who are capable of work to move from dependency to self-sufficiency.”
As passed by the House of Representatives, H.R. 3102 will implement several important reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). H.R. 3102 would protect the solvency of this important program by:
- Reducing waste, fraud, and abuse and increasing oversight over benefit payments. The legislation increases funding for local food banks, which are in a better position to ensure that nutrition assistance reaches those who truly need it.
- Ending taxpayer funding for advertising and marketing efforts for SNAP and the automatic enrollment of people who do not need assistance.
- Restoring the work requirements for able-bodied SNAP recipients without dependents. Children, those unable to work, and the disabled will not see their benefits affected. States will maintain the authority to grant waivers to able-bodied individuals who cannot work, due to issues such as mental illness.
These commonsense reforms will save taxpayers $39 billion between 2014 and 2023, a 5 percent reduction from the current Congressional Budget Office forecast of federal spending for SNAP, which totals $764 billion over the next decade.
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