Via The Hill:

House Republicans are pushing for stricter work requirements in the food stamp program, the first concrete legislative step this year targeting the nation’s public assistance programs.

The proposal was introduced over the objection of Democrats as part of the 2018 farm bill, which a House panel marked up Wednesday.

The legislation would dramatically expand mandatory state workforce training programs, and require all adults aged 18 to 59 to work at least 20 hours a week, or be enrolled in a training program in order to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The legislation budgets $1 billion per year to pay for the expansion.

The work requirements are projected to cut SNAP enrollment by up to 1 million people, and would cut spending on SNAP by $20 billion over 10 years, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis. […]

House Democrats, faith groups, and advocacy organizations like the AARP have all blasted the work requirements as overly burdensome and unworkable.

“SNAP is one of the best anti-poverty programs we have, and the proposal would compromise its ability to remain as effective and efficient as it is,” said Elizabeth Wolkomir, a senior policy analyst at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.