Gillibrand to provoke Senate floor fight over food stamps

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said Monday that she will fight to increase spending on food stamps through an amendment to the 2013 farm bill when it comes to the Senate floor this week.

Gillibrand voted against the bill in the Agriculture Committee because of its $4.5 billion in cuts to food stamps. Her amendment would restore the funding and pay for it by slashing crop insurance subsidies that she argues unfairly benefit insurance companies.

The Senate farm bill, authored by Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and ranking member Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), reduces food stamp eligibility by limiting the ability of those receiving home heating assistance to automatically become eligible for food stamps as well. Overall, the Senate bill would reduce the budget deficit by $23.6 billion over 10 years by ending direct subsidy payments to farmers and replacing them with an expanded crop insurance system to cover shallow farm losses.

The Senate bill cuts far less from food stamps than House Republicans have demanded. The House-passed budget would cut $134 billion from the program by turning it into a block grant for the states. The House Agriculture Committee came together to produce a bill making $36 billion in cuts.

Gillibrand's office sent a press release that included praise from a celebrity chef Tom Colicchio and New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, viewed as the front-runner to replace Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The Senate will likely turn to the farm bill on Tuesday after failing to move to debate on paycheck equality legislation. Stabenow has said she has the 60 votes she needs to pass the farm bill. The House Agriculture Committee hopes to mark up its own bill by the end of the month.

---