House Passes Farm Bill With $8-Billion Food-Stamp Cut

Ending a two-year congressional impasse over shrinking the food-stamps budget, the House of Representatives approved a new farm bill Wednesday that would reduce spending on the federal nutrition-aid program by $8-billion over 10 years, The New York Times and The Washington Post report.

Antihunger groups decried the cuts, which amount to 1 percent of food-stamp spending and will trim monthly benefits for about 850,000 families by $90 a month. The bill passed on a relatively bipartisan 251-166 vote, winning the support of many Republicans who had sought much deeper cuts for food stamps and Democrats who favored a smaller reduction.

The compromise bill, hammered out over several weeks by House and Senate negotiators, increases federal financing for food banks by $200-million. Food charities are anticipating a spike in demand if the food-stamps cuts take effect. The Senate is expected to take up the measure this week, but it is unclear whether President Obama will sign it. He has signaled opposition to any legislation that cuts food stamps.