Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 3/11/20

Trump and House Democrats are pushing competing ideas for stemming the economic fallout from the coronavirus, but one area that could garner some bipartisan support is strengthening the food safety net. Perdue on Tuesday said Congress could consider rebooting the Pandemic Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or P-SNAP, as part of the stimulus package that lawmakers are negotiating this week, reports Pro Ag’s Catherine Boudreau.

The program was last authorized, but not operated, during the global H1N1 virus in 2009. A USDA spokesperson said P-SNAP gives households with children who are eligible for free and reduced-price school lunch additional funds on an Electronic Benefit Transfer card when schools are closed.

The Agriculture Department has enough money on hand to launch the program, which is designed to ensure low-income Americans have access to food during a crisis, but USDA officials would need congressional authority to deploy it, Perdue said.

States, businesses and schools increasingly are taking “social distancing” steps to avoid spreading the virus. But that leaves millions of low-income children at risk of missing meals provided by their schools, while hourly workers could be forced to stay home without any income — potentially spiking demand for nutrition benefits.

Meanwhile, manufacturers and businesses are increasingly asking for tariff relief as part of the stimulus package. Senate Republicans appear poised to ramp up pressure on the White House to suspend duties on steel and aluminum imports or a wide range of Chinese goods — but that doesn’t appear to be part of Trump’s plans for now, per Pro Trade’s Sabrina Rodriguez.