SNAP slashes near finish line

Politico

30-06-2025

With help from Meredith Lee Hill
QUICK FIX
— A Senate GOP carve-out to protect Hawaii and Alaska from deep SNAP cuts could make or break Republicans' chances of passing their megabill this week.
— A trade group representing pesticide manufacturers is demanding that MAHA leaders reverse course and offer a full-throated defense of pesticide use.
— A federal investigator upheld allegations that USDA long allowed excessive dirt and grime, mold and lack of drinkable water at a research facility in Maryland.
IT'S MONDAY, JUNE 30. Welcome to Morning Agriculture. I'm your host Grace Yarrow, wondering where June went. Send tips to [e-mail] and follow us at @Morning_Ag for more.
FIRST UP: MA is delighted to announce the addition of Rachel Shin to our agriculture policy reporting team. Rachel recently graduated from Yale and is joining us as an intern this summer. Shower her with tips, story ideas and greetings at [e-mail].
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Driving the day
THREE BIG THINGS TO KNOW: Republicans are hustling to pass their megabill package — with a major overhaul to the nation's largest anti-hunger program — before July 4. Here's what you need to know.
First, the Senate has scheduled its megabill vote to begin at 9 a.m.
Second, the Senate Agriculture Committee is still waiting for the chamber's parliamentarian to approve or rule against a new provision that temporarily exempts Alaska and Hawaii from its SNAP cost-share plan. Republican and Democratic committee staff will submit their arguments in writing and are expecting to get a decision from the parliamentarian Monday morning. (More on that below.)
And third, the GOP is bracing for a floor fight over the $67 billion farm bill package they tucked into the megabill, as our Meredith Lee Hill writes. Dozens of agriculture groups sent a letter Sunday night opposing a new amendment from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) over his long-running push to limit the income thresholds of farmers who can receive federal aid from key farm bill programs.
Some farm-state Republicans are concerned that a swath of more liberal senators could join with conservative fiscal hawks to muster enough votes to pass the amendment, or risk it getting close.
One note: Grassley's amendment does not touch the expansion of access to disaster assistance and conservation payments, as ag groups claim in the letter. That section was removed from the amendment.
Some more context: The new megabill text grants the Agriculture secretary authority to waive the Alaska's and Hawaii's cost-share requirement for up to two years if they are 'actively implementing' a plan to lower their payment error rates, which is what will be used to calculate how much of SNAP states will need to fund, as our Samuel Benson wrote Saturday.
Alaska's SNAP error rate was over 60 percent and Hawaii's was over 20 percent as of fiscal year 2023, which is the latest available data. Alaska's two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, have spent the past several weeks pushing their colleagues to provide an exception for their state.
If the parliamentarian does strip out the cushions for Alaska and Hawaii to protect constituents from SNAP cuts, Murkowski or other nervous Republicans may try to strip the cost-share proposal entirely on the floor, which could eliminate a critical pay-for for the megabill.
In the House: Some fiscal hawks are already sounding alarms and threatening to vote against the Senate's scaled-back SNAP spending cuts.Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who's expressed concerns about the Senate's smaller SNAP slashes, also slammed the bill's 'giveaways' to Alaska.
'So instead of fixing the problem and paying their fair share, the Alaska Senators are demanding the taxpayers from other states give them a special grant,' Roy posted on X.
House lawmakers are gearing up to vote on the bill as soon as Wednesday morning — barring any derailments in the Senate.
What Rollins is saying: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has been an outspoken advocate for the megabill, calling it a 'win across every lane of policy' for farmers during a Fox News interview Friday.
She also criticized the Senate's parliamentarian during the interview for stripping out certain pieces of the GOP plans in compliance with Senate rules.
'The hood has been lifted. We have a Democratic policy person, that was appointed by a Democrat, who is stopping big parts of the bill and that has to change,' she said.
What Dems are doing: Senators will have an opportunity to raise amendments to the megabill during the vote-a-rama process today (send coffee!).
Some Senate Democrats told MA last week that they're planning to be loud in their opposition to the SNAP cuts this week and look to address their concerns through ag-related amendments in the vote-a-rama.
'I have amendments that I intend to file to address this through the reconciliation process,' said Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.). 'But my Republican colleagues have a decision to make: Are they going to stand up for Donald Trump and his agenda, or are they going to stand up for their own people?'
MAHA MOMENT
PESTICIDE DEMANDS: A group representing pesticide producers is asking MAHA leaders to reverse their stance on pesticide use and offer a full-throated defense for the science behind it, according to a letter first obtained by POLITICO.
CropLife America sent the 12-page letter, which includes 17 policy recommendations, to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday. The group said it would follow up in one week to meet with Kennedy's team to discuss the suggestions.
'While the May 22 Initial Assessment was well intended, it includes misleading and alarmist statements about pesticides — and calls into question the safety of the very foods critical for the healthy development of children,' said Alexandra Dunn, president and CEO of CropLife, in a statement.
Read the full scoop from Rachel and your host here.
Key transition: Kyle Kunkler starts today as deputy assistant administrator for pesticides at the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, our Ellie Borst writes for POLITICO's E&E News.
Kunkler previously directed government affairs for the American Soybean Association, a commodity group advocating against a crackdown on pesticides that Kennedy and MAHA allies are eyeing. Prior to joining ASA, Kunkler led federal government relations for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization's food and agriculture team.
Kunkler's appointment follows a pattern of senior-level Trump administration appointees who came from jobs lobbying or litigating on behalf of industry groups they are now responsible for regulating, despite President Donald Trump denouncing corporate influence over agencies last month for the White House's release of the MAHA report.
AROUND THE AGENCIES
DIRT AND GRIME AT USDA: The federal agency that investigates government whistleblower complaints has upheld allegations that USDA long allowed unsafe work conditions at its research facility in Beltsville, Maryland.
In a letter to President Donald Trump, the Office of Special Counsel recommended whistleblower payments to USDA employees who complained in 2023 of conditions including excessive dirt and grime, peeling paint, mold, and lack of drinkable water.
How we got here: Then-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed the complaints after an internal investigation by diverting $50 million from new building construction to fixing the issues at the Beltsville facility. Employees credited the USDA with responding to the troubles and making a start on improving the conditions, according to the OSC letter.
The three employees who together reported the conditions had leadership roles with the American Federation of Government Employees, a labor union representing USDA workers. They'd complained that facility managers allowed conditions to deteriorate since 2017.
USDA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. According to the OSC, the agency substantiated most of the whistleblowers' complaints but disagreed with their contention that the poor conditions resulted in loss and improper handling of equipment, research and data.
Read the full story from Marc Heller for POLITICO's E&E News here.
Row Crops
— Failed state efforts to crack down on intoxicating hemp — a problem created by a loophole in the 2018 farm bill — highlight how messy the issue has become, our Arek Sarkissian and Mona Zhang write.
— Five high-ranking Greek government officials resigned Friday following allegations of their involvement in mismanagement of EU farming subsidies. (The Associated Press)
— Trump won't let other countries score big 'wins'' in trade talks. Both sides could lose, write our Daniel Desrochers and Megan Messerly.
— House Ag Republican Dusty Johnson is expected to announce a bid for South Dakota governor today, our Meredith Lee Hill reports.
— The Wall Street Journal profiles the '33-Year-Old Meat Heir Feeding America's Protein Obsession.'
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