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Key lawmaker opposes drug testing for food stamp recipients

Key lawmaker opposes drug testing for food stamp recipients | iNFOnews.ca
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, joined at left by Vice Chairman Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., announces the new farm bill, officially known as the 2018 Agriculture and Nutrition Act, at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, April 12, 2018. The bulk of the bill's spending goes toward funding SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON – The chairman of a House committee crafting a bill to overhaul the food stamp program says he opposes drug testing for participants.

The comments by Rep. Mike Conaway come two days after The Associated Press reported that the White House was weighing a plan that would allow states to do just that.

The Texas Republican, who chairs the Agriculture Committee, says he “generally opposes” drug testing in the Supplemental Food Assistance Program, the official name for food stamps. On Thursday, the committee unveiled a new farm bill that strengthens work requirements for food stamp recipients.

The bill doesn’t include any language about drug testing. But the White House is considering a narrow proposal that would allow states to drug test mostly able-bodied adults without dependents who are seeking certain jobs.

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