Slow spending means no new food stamp funds

Statement

House Republicans introduced their five-year "farm bill" on Thursday and, as expected, the CNMI's slow spending of food stamp funds blocked efforts to keep Marianas funding at $20.6 million annually. According to the Agriculture Department, the Commonwealth has $22.5 million unspent, not counting the $12.148 million in last month's FY18 Omnibus Appropriation. Republicans were unwilling to extend funding with that large backlog. On Wednesday, I introduced a revision of H.R. 4216, my bill that would continue enhanced food stamp funding through FY23. The new bill, H.R. 5478, provides funding only when the Marianas' available balance is below $8.5 million. This week, also, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus endorsed H.R. 4216 in a comprehensive letter on the farm bill to Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway of Texas, to no avail.

I put $32.5 million for Marianas food stamps into the 2014 farm bill and I do not want to miss the opportunity of a new farm bill to continue that funding. My goal is simply to get food aid to more Marianas families and to increase their monthly benefits. Spending the $22.5 million now on hand would help those families and also make reauthorization of the extra funds I got in 2014 more likely.

Source