{"id":14209,"date":"2018-12-28T08:00:24","date_gmt":"2018-12-28T14:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/?p=14209"},"modified":"2018-12-27T22:07:58","modified_gmt":"2018-12-28T04:07:58","slug":"final-farm-bill-protects-snap-addresses-food-insecurity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/2018\/12\/28\/final-farm-bill-protects-snap-addresses-food-insecurity\/","title":{"rendered":"Final Farm Bill protects SNAP, addresses Food Insecurity"},"content":{"rendered":"

American Heart Association<\/h2>\n

\"AmericanWashington, D.C.<\/strong> – American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown issued the following statement on the final farm bill language released by House and Senate negotiators:  <\/p>\n

\u201cWe commend congressional leaders for negotiating a bipartisan farm bill that prioritizes the needs of low-income people to provide a reliable source of food for their families.<\/p>\n

\"Nancy<\/a>

Nancy Brown; Chief Executive Officer, American Heart Association<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

“This bill will ensure more than 45 million eligible people and their families who are struggling through underemployment and low or stagnant wages continue to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe compromise legislation rejects draconian provisions in the House-passed bill that the Congressional Budget Office estimates would have caused 1 million people to lose their SNAP benefits entirely, and another 5 million to 7 million people to see their benefits cut.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bill will expand the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program by providing mandatory funding and creating an education and technical assistance center that will help increase fruit and vegetable purchases and improve the nutrition of low-income families across the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition, the bill will protect funding for SNAP nutrition education programs that empower SNAP participants with information about food budgeting and guidance on selecting healthier food.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are disappointed a pilot proposal from the American Heart Association designed to improve healthy choices in SNAP was not included. We would like to have seen more innovative ways to improve diet quality in the bill, but we are pleased the bill takes several small but important first steps in the right direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis bill is far from perfect, but it represents a significant step forward in ensuring that vulnerable families can put food on the table and access more fruits and vegetables. It prioritizes programs that are critical to preventing cardiovascular disease, which will cost our nation $1.1 trillion annually in medical care and lost productivity by 2035.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe commend Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Rep. Michael Conaway (R-TX) and Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) for their leadership in producing a final bill that will help prevent hunger and malnutrition nationwide, and we urge Congress to pass it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The American Heart Association had several priorities<\/a> in the farm bill in addition to SNAP, FINI and SNAP-Ed.<\/p>\n

They include:<\/strong><\/p>\n