Glenn Thompson: “Let me just deal with some of the rumor mongering that is happening within this Chamber. One of the things I hear is…”

“Let me just deal with some of the rumor mongering that is happening within this Chamber. One of the things I hear is that the nutrition title of the farm bill results in a significant number of individuals from receiving SNAP. Frankly, Madam Speaker, that is absolutely false. Actually, without this change, a significant number of families experiencing food insecurity will continue to not be eligible for the needed nutritional support they have, being food-insecure families. The 2018 farm bill and nutrition title updates the archaic asset test that prevented hungry families from accessing SNAP for decades. In fact, Madam Speaker, many of these asset values have not been changed since the 1970s. We change them and we index them to inflation. This update to the asset test will allow individuals and families experiencing food insecurity to have more in savings, assets, the value of their vehicle, without affecting their SNAP eligibility. Additionally, for Active-Duty military households, SNAP's income determination will, for the first time, provide an exclusion of up to $500 monthly of their basic housing allowance. We have a number of folks serving Active Duty who are military and joined late in life and came with a spouse and kids. It is very difficult for them to live on what the salary would be of an entry- level member of our military. This is the first time that we address that issue in this farm bill, H.R. 2, that will be on the House floor in a few weeks.…”