The Senate Agriculture Committee has missed a great opportunity to fight poverty and encourage work.
In contrast with House Republicans, whose proposed farm bill brought a much needed focus on employment to our nation's food stamps program, the drafters of the Senate bill have completely passed on work requirements in favor of an approach that insists that the status quo is fine.
There is still time to reinstate the reforms of the House bill, and the Senate would be wise to do so. Image via Twenty20.
The status quo is not fine. Our economy is hot, making this a prime opportunity to get non-working Americans into employment and earnings. Healthy adults who could be working are not, while SNAP — a program that is supposed to help people escape poverty — is responding by effectively saying: Helping you get a job is not our job.
