UnidosUS Applauds the Defeat of Farm Bill that Would Have Harmed Millions of Latino Families

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WASHINGTON, DC— Today, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (the Farm Bill), legislation that would have severely undermined the health and economic security of millions of hardworking Americans, including Latinos. The partisan bill took particular aim at the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a critical anti-hunger tool that helps 40 million low-income households, including 10 million Latino families, put food on the table and make ends meet. Among the bill’s most damaging provisions were drastic benefit cuts and unwarranted work requirements that would further plunge families into a cycle of poverty.

“Good riddance to the House Farm legislation. This was a terrible bill that would have literally taken food out of the mouths of millions of American children. That is why we worked with our Affiliates and partners to make sure that lawmakers knew the egregious impact of needlessly cutting SNAP funding, one of the most effective tools we have to fight hunger in this country. Instead of continuing their assault on America’s families, the Trump administration and House Republican leadership need to go back to the drawing board and produce a bill that maintains and strengthens SNAP, instead of undermining it,” said UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía.

UnidosUS’s fight against the proposed Farm Bill included outreach to legislators, as well as public outreach explaining the potential harm Latinos could face if it passed. The bill not only proposed slashing funding but restructuring the program in such a way that it would punish the very hardworking families it’s designed to help. One in four Latino children currently live in food-insecure households and on average, Latino families who participate in SNAP receive $297 in benefits each month. Without this critical lifeline, Latino families would be at risk of increased hunger and hardship.