Mary Johnson: Farm bill, SNAP program deserve more commentary

EDITOR'S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not of Ottawa News Network.

I am writing on behalf of Holland-area members of Bread for the World, a Christian advocacy organization urging our nation’s political leaders to work hard to end hunger.

U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga’s May 7 "Huizenga Huddle" (newsletter) reports on the recently passed House version of the Farm Bill. We want to comment on that report and on the Farm Bill more generally.

First, we applaud measures to help Southwest Michigan’s farmers and to strengthen America’s food supply. Hopefully, these measures will especially help small specialty-crop farmers and promote environmental sustainability.

Second, we are disappointed to see that the only mention of nutrition programs is an assertion that the Farm Bill contributes to reducing waste and fraud in those programs. We dispute that assertion and instead believe that measures ostensibly targeting waste and fraud are onerous and misguided.

Third, we regret that the "Huddle" did not mention the genuinely good news included in the House Farm Bill’s nutrition provisions.

The House Farm Bill apparently retains the new restrictions on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) eligibility included in the July 2025 H.R. 1, also known as the "One Big, Beautiful Bill." These restrictions deny benefits to people very much in need of assistance and, hence, do a disservice to Americans as a whole. For example, making ex-felons ineligible for SNAP benefits increases the rate of recidivism.

The House Farm Bill also fails to eliminate or even delay state cost-sharing provisions included in H.R. 1, even though those provisions pose a huge challenge to states.

Moreover, the cost-sharing component that is based on SNAP Payment Error Rates is based on the false premise that states are primarily to blame for SNAP payment errors and ignores the complexities of administering SNAP benefits. The Food Research Action Center states that, “In practice, error rates reflect an extraordinarily complex administrative process carried out by skilled eligibility workers under shifting rules, constrained resources, and evolving federal guidance.”

The paperwork requirements imposed by H.R. 1 will only make the situation worse. How about engaging in the hard work of addressing some of the real underlying causes of payment errors?

According to Bread for the World, H.R. 1’s cost shifting will increase Michigan’s annual SNAP-related costs from $192 million to $626 million, more than a threefold increase. States that cannot afford to pick up these extra costs will wind up reducing SNAP benefits.

Meanwhile, the St. Vincent de Paul Center (a food pantry in the city of Holland) reports that it experiences a surge in requests for food assistance each time SNAP benefits are further restricted. Lines of needy, frightened neighbors stretch down the sidewalk.

We are thankful for the local charities that stand ready to help our vulnerable brothers and sisters. However, the resources available to private and religious charities are dwarfed by those available to our federal government. 

According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), from July 2025 to January 2026, SNAP participation in the U.S. dropped by more than 8 million people, that is, 8%, even though there was no corresponding decrease in the unemployment rate. This will only get worse as more of the provisions of H.R. 1 take effect. At a minimum, the state cost-sharing provisions should be delayed for a year or two.

Finally, let’s get to the good news omitted in the "Huizenga Huddle." Two long-time vital international assistance programs, Food for Peace and the Dole-McGovern Food for Education Program both received support in the House’s Farm Bill.  

Food for Peace, now 70 years old, provides agricultural products to poor countries, as both disaster response and longer-term development assistance. The Dole-McGovern program, first authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill, supports education, child development, and food security in poor nations.

Another bright spot is the House Farm Bill’s support of Gus-NIP (Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program.) Gus-NIP makes possible Michigan’s Double Up Food Bucks, which helps SNAP recipients afford fresh fruits and vegetables from the Holland Farmers Market and elsewhere.

Although the U.S. has never been especially generous in its domestic nutrition assistance, it has been a long-time leader in international food assistance. Our nation helped to put global hunger on a downward trajectory. 

Now, at a time when conflict, climate change, and rising costs have sadly reversed that trajectory, this is no time to let cynicism and the myth of scarcity serve as excuses for reducing our domestic and global nutrition assistance.  

Let’s Make America Generous Again!

— Mary Johnson is a resident of Holland. Learn more about Bread for the World at bread.org.

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