Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 5/13/20

The House on Friday is expected to vote on a $3 trillion stimulus package, dubbed the HEROES Act, backed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi . That’s likely the end of the line for the legislation, considering Senate Republicans aren’t on board, but it gives Democrats fresh ammunition in negotiations over the next coronavirus response measure.

Food stamps front and center: As expected, the plan includes a 15 percent increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, raising the minimum payment by $30 per month. It would give the Agriculture Department an extra $10 billion to cover the rise in SNAP spending, along with fresh funding for child nutrition programs ($3 billion), the WIC program ($1.1 billion) and food banks ($150 million).

The bill also would allow SNAP recipients to use their benefits to buy hot foods from select retailers and block the Trump administration from implementing new rules (issued before the pandemic) that would boot millions of low-income Americans from the program, per Pro Ag’s Liz Crampton.

As for agriculture, Democrats are proposing financial or regulatory assistance for wide swaths of the hard-hit industry. They’re calling for a new dairy donation program, meant to dissuade farmers from dumping milk by rerouting goods to feeding programs; $100 million earmarked for specialty crop growers; $50 million for beginning farmers and ranchers; direct aid for processing facilities that shut down because of coronavirus outbreaks; and assistance for producers forced to euthanize livestock because of slaughterhouse closures.

Quick hits: The plan also goes big on broadband access; directs the Labor Department to step up health protections and financial aid for essential workers; and aims to overhaul small business loans including the so-called Paycheck Protection Program.