'Starving your own constituents': Republican plan to gut program could end House majority

House Republicans' pursuit of a far-right policy goal that would disproportionately affect millions of their own constituents may end up costing them their razor-thin majority in 2024.

As part of their negotiations for the next farm bill, Republicans are insisting on instituting even stricter work requirements for the approximately 41 million recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly referred to as food stamps. However, Politico reports that should they be successful in implementing those new requirements, it would result in potentially millions of people no longer receiving food assistance — particularly residents of six GOP-controlled House districts in which more than 20% of households receive SNAP benefits.

"Starving your own constituents of food assistance is not only bad morals. It’s bad politics," Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-New York), whose district has the highest percentage of SNAP households in the US, told Politico.

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According to Politico, five of those six Republican districts are majority-Hispanic. Three of those districts are in Miami-Dade County, which is typically regarded as a Democratic stronghold. And of those three districts, two are represented by relatively new members of Congress. Rep. Maria Elena Salazar (R-Florida) was elected in 2022, replacing longtime Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Florida). Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Florida) was elected in 2020 after defeating Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-Florida). Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Florida) represents a district reshaped following the 2020 redistricting cycle, and while reliably Republican, its demographic is predominantly urban and Hispanic.

Salazar, whose district includes roughly 55,000 households receiving SNAP benefits, was noncommittal in whether she supports the proposed new work requirements.

"We must continue to help the most vulnerable who need a hand up, but what we can’t have is a bloated government sending out cash without accountability. It’s critical that we do both," she said.

Republicans have already seen their majority shrink with the expulsion of former Rep. George Santos (R-New York), and Democrats may gain ground depending on the outcome of a February special election in that district. And after the New York Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the Empire State's independent redistricting commission has to draw new congressional redistricting maps, the GOP's representation in New York may dwindle even further. Currently, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) can only afford three defections from his caucus in order to pass legislation, following the December 2023 retirement of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California).

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