WASHINGTON, DC—Today AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMond released the following statement on Congress passing the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (H.R. 2):

“AARP applauds Congress for passing the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. This legislation protects access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). We are particularly pleased that the bill rejected harmful changes to the law’s work requirements that would have made it harder for older Americans to access SNAP benefits.

“SNAP is a critical program that helps millions of Americans, including older adults, meet their basic nutritional needs. It’s especially important to older Americans who live on fixed incomes with limited money to spend on necessities like food, housing, and medicine. Having access to healthy food allows low-income older adults to better manage chronic illnesses and age in place, which helps reduce costly hospitalizations and nursing home admissions.

“We also applaud Congress for extending the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) certification period and for expanding rural broadband opportunities allowing older American households to use broadband to access telehealth and distance learning services, and enabling people to age-in-place. Additionally, we’re pleased that H.R. 2 did not include expansion of association health plans that lack consumer protections.”

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About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

MEDIA CONTACT: Greg Phillips, 202-434-2560, gphillips@aarp.org, @AARPMedia