WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) thinks the CNMI is making good use of the $32.5 million he put into the Agricultural Act of 2014 to make more families eligible and raise food stamp benefits. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Department of Agriculture [says] we are now helping 2,736 households put food on the table,\u201d Sablan said. \u201cThat is 341 more households than June,\u201d when the CNMI began the new \u201cE-NAP\u201d system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new money is also increasing benefits for families,\u201d Sablan reported. \u201cUSDA tells me one-third of the benefits paid out in November\u2014$338,768\u2014came from the E-NAP funds I put in the Agricultural Act, or the \u2018Farm Bill,\u2019 as we usually say in Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n
The CNMI reported earlier this week that it was also developing an automated system to process applications and benefits and to allow people to apply online.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout $1.75 million of my Farm Bill money is being used for the automated system,\u201d Sablan said. \u201cAnd then once that system is operational, another $1.5 million of the Farm Bill funds will pay for the Electronic Benefit System, EBT.<\/p>\n
\u201cEBT will end the paper food stamps and give recipients a debit card to swipe at check-out. That makes life easier for the retailers and the E-NAP families. It also cuts down on fraud.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost importantly, all of these changes\u2014increasing eligibility, raising benefits, the EBT\u2014make the Marianas system look more and more like the national program, SNAP.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy ultimate goal is for the Marianas to be part of SNAP. And the more our program looks like the national program, the easier it will be to get to that goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sablan has also introduced legislation to put another $42.5 million into E-NAP, so the program can continue beyond 2020, or until the CNMI joins SNAP.
\nSablan is working to include that legislation into the next Farm Bill, which could be enacted this year. He included the extra funding on his legislative priorities list for 2018. (PR)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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