SNAP cuts will ditch brother at the door

“He ain’t heavy; he’s my brother.” Many are inspired by that iconic line, story, song, and image associated with Boys Town. However, what if Father Flanagan said to the boy carrying his brother, “I’ll give you more, as long as you put your little brother down and we feed him less?” And, what if the boy agreed? Not so inspiring, eh?

That is what will happen under the president’s “big, beautiful bill,” farmers, and 41.7 million of our nation’s hungriest people. Since 1971, the Farm Bill has included the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — aka “SNAP.” This was intended to forge coalitions between farmers and non-farming citizens. What could be more natural than helping the people who grow food and people who eat it?

Like the warped Boys Town scenario above, newly proposed legislation will usher farmers in from the cold to receive taxpayer assistance — but they’ll have to ditch their brother at the door. Farmers will get increased subsidies for crop insurance, base acre support, and commodity payments (up to 71% higher for soybeans). They are already getting a $10 billion bailout. Meanwhile, the hungriest among us must cope with $27 billion less in SNAP benefits.

All of us in the farm sector should aspire to be like the boy carrying his young brother. We should not abandon hungry people in a bargain to save ourselves. If we receive assistance in hard times, so should they. Keep SNAP fully funded — they’re our brothers and sisters.

Clark Porter

Waterloo