House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., today said that participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program should buy only American-produced foods.

Harris made the statement at a subcommittee hearing to receive testimony from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

Harris, a longtime supporter of restricting SNAP participants from buying sweetened beverages, said he believes SNAP participants are spending $12 billion per year on those beverages and that the SNAP beneficiaries could spend that money buying healthy food produced by American farmers.

Harris told reporters after the hearing he believes that a buy America requirement would be particularly helpful in reducing the U.S. agricultural trade deficit because most of the deficit comes from buying fruits and vegetables that used to be grown in the United States.

Maryland used to be a major producer of fruits and vegetables on the East Coast before the interstate highway system led grocery stores to seek fruits and vegetables from suppliers in California and other states that could provide them year round. In recent years, that system has included fruits and vegetables from other countries, particularly Mexico.

Asked about the role of fruit and vegetable imports during the winter season when they are produced in the United States, Harris said he believes there should be more processing facilities and storage so that the period in which it’s necessary to import fresh fruits and vegetables could be shortened.

A spokesman for FMI-The Food Industry Association said in an email, “While we haven’t seen the proposal from Chairman Harris and it would be premature to speculate, food retailers are proud to be able to provide Americans with a variety of fresh produce year-round. Products like coffee and bananas are not grown and have never been grown in the United States. For retailers, the challenge is compounded by the fact that separating out U.S.-grown produce from other products would require significantly updating POS systems and having produce tied to product of origin information on the product itself — which is difficult with loose produce. It would also put a lot of burden on local farmers — which in many cases deliver directly to the store — that may not have the capacity to package products in a way that facilitates this kind of transaction at retail. Forbidding SNAP participants from buying other products from outside the United States would be even more challenging for retailers and food manufacturers!” 

Rollins did not comment on Harris’ buy America SNAP proposal. She also didn’t comment at the hearing on Republican proposals to shift part of the cost of SNAP to the states.

Later, when asked about the proposal at a news conference, Rollins said that “there are many ideas on the table” and every good idea is needed in the discussion.

Rollins also noted that USDA is spending $405 million per day on 16 nutrition programs and that she believes 20% to 30% of that money is subject to waste, fraud and abuse.