The Trump administration is going around the lengthy farm bill negotiations to push for a rule that would force more people who enroll in food stamps to comply with work requirements, despite the fact that Republicans were unsuccessful in pushing the same measure through Congress.
Republicans have pushed for more work requirements for food stamp participants and for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow states to impose more requirements such as drug testing. But those requests were left out of the recently approved farm bill after Democrats refused to move forward with the changes and other GOP proposals.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told reporters President Donald Trump might not have supported the massive farm bill without a separate food stamp reform rule, even though the typically bipartisan bill provides billions of dollars in assistance for farmers, research projects and mental health programs.
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