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Appropriations committee declines amendment designed to shield free school lunches from SNAP and Medicaid cuts
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Summary
A proposed amendment to prevent changes to SNAP or Medicaid from reducing school lunch eligibility failed in committee after debate over reconciliation changes and program interactions.
Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz offered an amendment to prevent the Department of Agriculture from using appropriated funds to strip free school lunch eligibility from students when families lose SNAP or Medicaid through reconciliation changes. She argued that direct certification via SNAP and Medicaid and the community eligibility provision (CEP) permit schools to serve free meals, and cuts in SNAP or Medicaid would cascade into loss of free meals for students and reduced school-wide eligibility.
Dr. Harris opposed the amendment, saying the reconciliation bill did not remove medical exceptions for SNAP and contending children are not the target of the able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) work requirements; he said the amendment mischaracterized the reconciliation bill’s effect. Supporters warned that CBO estimates showed cuts to school breakfast and lunch spending under the reconciliation plan and said the amendment would protect students from a cascade of eligibility losses.
The committee moved to a roll-call vote after debate. The clerk later reported the ayes at 28 and the noes at 34 (or 35 in earlier tallies), and the amendment was not adopted.
