The House on Friday rejected legislation that would have bolstered work requirements for many food stamp recipients, after Republican leaders failed to reach a deal with conservative lawmakers who would only support the bill if they got a vote on an unrelated immigration measure.
GOP leaders were hoping to approve the 2018 Agriculture and Nutrition Act, an $867 billion bill authorizing farm programs and policy, as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program otherwise known as food stamps. But the bill failed 198-213.
But conservatives, angry over a delay on voting on an immigration measure, withheld their support, which was critical because of Democratic opposition to the snap reforms.
Republicans plan to keep negotiating with conservatives, most of them members of the House Freedom Caucus, in order to secure a deal to pass the farm bill. But passage will now have to wait at least until next week.
The Freedom Caucus is demanding a vote on a tough immigration reform bill that fits with what President Trump wants to pass. Thirty HFC members held back their support for the farm bill until a deal was struck on immigration.
Without support from the HFC, there were not enough votes to pass the farm bill, since Democrats unanimously opposed language boosting work requirements for food stamp recipients.
Republican leaders were considering some sort of arrangement with the HFC to have the House vote next month on the immigration bill, which was introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va. However, a final agreement to do this was never finalized.
Goodlatte’s bill aims to stop the flow of illegal immigration across the border and reduce legal immigration, among other provisions. The Goodlatte measure appears to lack enough GOP support to pass, but conservatives want to bring it up anyway, and told the Washington Examiner a vote was promised months ago by Republican leaders.
The farm bill has been historically difficult to pass.
Republicans helped defeat a farm bill in 2013 after conservatives protested the cost and scope of the bill.
