The House Agriculture Committee passed the Agricultural Reconciliation Act of 2012, which would cut $33.2 billion over 10 years from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the food stamp program). 

This recommendation is designed to meet the reconciliation instructions from the House Budget Resolution, which requires the House Agriculture Committee to cut $33 billion from programs under its jurisdiction.  Congressman Frank Lucas (R- OK), committee chair, said the cuts from SNAP would make “credible reforms that reduce waste and abuse and close program loopholes.” 

Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN), ranking member of the committee, feels the proposal is “a waste of time” because the Senate will not do reconciliation.  He said, “The proposal before us is not serious. You can’t have a serious conversation about getting our budget under control when you take large items like defense off the table, which is really why we’re here. Taking a meat ax to nutrition programs that feed millions of hard-working families in an effort to avoid defense cuts is not a serious way to achieve deficit reduction. No wonder no one likes Congress.”