The Farm Bill is one of the largest and most important bills. It covers support and research for farmers as well as conservation and research for forests and fisheries. But it also determines the value of federal nutrition assistance programs, including support for pregnant woman, children, and needy families. The largest of these programs is SNAP, the food stamp program.
The last Farm Bill was passed in 2018, and expired in 2023. Congress has not yet been able to agree to a Farm Bill and pass it, and it is not expected that it will happen this year, either. The current versions of the Farm Bill from the House and the Senate both fail to include Puerto Rico in SNAP.
Of course, Puerto Rico will be in the SNAP program when we are admitted as a state. In the meantime, needy U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico, most of them working and counting on food stamps to supplement their low wages, go hungry.
Who supports equality for Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico was included in the original food stamp program, now known as SNAP. For a variety of reasons, most caused by the Island’s territorial status, Puerto Rico’s poverty rate is much higher than that of any state. The percentage of people using food stamps in Puerto Rico is therefore higher than in the states. Seeing this, Congress decided in the 20th century to exclude Puerto Rico from SNAP. Instead of SNAP, Puerto Rico has NAP.
SNAP responds to the changing needs of the states. NAP is a capped grant. In tough economic times, natural disasters, or any other circumstance that increases need on the Island, the amount of funding available for nutrition assistance remains the same. 47% of Puerto Ricans face food insecurity, prices are higher in Puerto Rico, the punishingly high sales tax on food (not found in most states) increases costs even more, and Puerto Rico food stamps are both harder to get and less generous than the stateside program.
The inequality is blatant. It can be fixed only by Congress. Puerto Rico has no voting members in the House and no senators at all. Legislators whose minds are on their constituents in their home states are the only ones who can vote to redress this wrong.
Some are doing just that.
89 congressional representatives cosponsored the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act, which would bring Puerto Rico back into the SNAP program:
- Pete Aguilar
- Alma Adams
- Yassamin Ansari
- Don Bacon
- Nanette Diaz Barragán
- Wesley Bell
- Brendan Boyle
- Nikki Budzinski
- Salud O. Carbajal
- André Carson
- Angie Craig
- Judy Chu
- Gilbert Ray Cisneros
- Jim Costa
- Joe Courtney
- David Davis
- Sharice Davids
- Rosa L. DeLauro
- Christopher R. Deluzio
- Maxine Dexter
- Dwight Evans
- Adriano Espaillat
- Veronica Escobar
- Brian K. Fitzpatrick
- Valerie P. Foushee
- Maxwell Frost
- Jesús G. “Chuy” García
- Robert Garcia
- Sylvia R. Garcia
- Daniel S. Goldman
- Josh Gottheimer
- Jimmy Gomez
- Tony Gonzales
- Adelita S. Grijalva
- Jahana Hayes
- Chrissy Houlahan
- Jared Huffman
- Timothy M. Kennedy
- Kimberlyn King-Hinds
- John B. Larson
- Michael Lawler
- Summer L. Lee
- George Latimer
- James P. McGovern
- Betty McCollum
- Sarah McBride
- Kristen McDonald Rivet
- Jennifer L. McClellan
- LaMonica McIver
- Robert Menendez
- Christian D. Menefee
- Grace Meng
- Gwen Moore
- Seth Moulton
- James C. Moylan
- Kevin Mullin
- Richard E. Neal
- Eleanor Holmes Norton
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
- Johnny Olszewski
- Chellie Pingree
- Nellie Pou
- Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen
- Emily Randall
- Jamie Raskin
- Josh Riley
- Deborah K. Ross
- Raul Ruiz
- Andrea Salinas
- Maria Elvira Salazar
- Linda T. Sánchez
- David Scott
- Terri A. Sewell
- Lateefah Simon
- Darren Soto
- Eric Sorensen
- Ritchie Torres
- Norma J. Torres
- Paul Tonko
- Derek Tran
- Lori Trahan
- Nydia M. Velázquez
- Eugene Simon Vindman
- Gabe Vasquez
- Debbie Wasserman Schultz
- George Whitesides
There are also senators who have been vocal in their support of the NAP to SNAP transition in the Farm Bill:
- Kirsten Gillibrand
- Chuck Schumer
- John Fetterman
- Richard Blumenthal
- Debbie Stabenow
What to do with this knowledge
Are the people on the list above running for office in your district? If so, recognize them with your vote. If your favorite candidate is not on the list, reach out to them and ask them to support the NAP to SNAP transition.
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