The House passed a spending bill Thursday night that included $141 million in cuts to a federal food assistance program focused on supporting women and children – a bill that would not have passed without the support of four House Democrats, who in turn drew scrutiny for their “puzzling” decision, The New Republic reported Friday.
The spending bill would allocate funding for the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies, and was passed by the House with a narrow vote of 213-210. The Supplemental Food Assistance Program, or SNAP, operates through the Agriculture Department, and a program within SNAP – referred to as WIC – specifically provides fruit and vegetable assistance to women, infants and children.
The four Democratic lawmakers in question are Reps. Donald Davis (D-NC), Adam Gray (D-CA), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), and Marie Glusenkamp Perez (D-WA). As to why they joined Republicans in helping advance a bill that could reduce food assistance for mothers, children and infants, The New Republic’s Hafiz Rashid was left puzzled.
“Three of the Democrats who voted for the cuts, Gray, Gonzalez, and Perez, are members of the conservative Blue Dog Coalition, and Perez has a reputation for often voting against her party,” Rashid wrote.
“But it’s puzzling why fruit and vegetable assistance for mothers and children was deemed acceptable to cut, especially during an economic crunch. It’s highly likely that WIC enrollment will go up in the coming months, and now, fruits and vegetables will be more expensive.”
