Please note that the following two paragraphs have been updated:
Overview: A short-term continuing resolution bill to fund the government into the latter part of this year seems more likely than getting all 12 appropriations bills through Congress and on to the president's desk by Sept. 30. The House Agriculture Committee published its text of the 2025 farm bill with a $1.5 trillion price tag. The bill contains language that would remove "climate-smart requirements" for using conservation funds and would prevent SNAP benefits from keeping pace with the cost of a healthy, realistic diet over time, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates would result in a roughly $30 billion cut to SNAP over the next decade (See section on SNAP below). The Senate version includes, in comparison, provisions for protecting the climate, protecting and strengthening the SNAP program and expanding access to groups that have historically been excluded from the program.
House Farm Bill Proposal - Future SNAP Cuts: The proposed Farm Bill released today by the House Agriculture Committee could put, if passed, a healthy diet out of reach in the future for millions of families with low incomes by cutting future benefits for all SNAP participants and eroding the adequacy of SNAP benefits over time. The proposal would do this by freezing the cost of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Thrifty Food Plan, which forms the basis for SNAP benefit levels, outside of inflation adjustments, even if nutrition guidelines or other factors change the cost of an adequate diet. This would put at risk SNAP benefits for millions of participants, including children, older adults, and people with disabilities who would receive less food assistance in the future because of this change in policy, according to an analysis by the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities. We urge members and constituents of the CCUSA network who feel this proposal would negatively impact their communities to reach out to members of the House Agriculture Committee and voice opposition to these changes (website and membership). The Committee is scheduled to "mark up" (consider and vote on the legislation) next Thursday, May 23rd.
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Q. What are the names for a group of geese on land (or water) and in flight?
Please send your answers to [email protected].
Previous question and answer:
Q. What does the feast of the Ascension celebrate?
A. The WW editorial board thinks accolades should go to all three readers who provided an answer this week: Bill Rosanelli, Marie Copeland, and Michael "The Goose" Granger: The Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 665) says, "Christ's Ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus' humanity into God's heavenly domain, whence he will come again (cf. Acts 1:11); this humanity in the meantime hides him from the eyes of men (cf. Col 3:3)."
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