Senator Sanders Wants Big Companies to Pay for SNAP

Dan Economy, Industry News Release, Legislative

A bill by Senator Bernie Sanders seeks to make big companies pay up for SNAP benefits their employees receive. Sanders, of Vermont, plans to introduce the bill next week on the same day the farm bill conferees meet.

senatorThe bill would impose a 100 percent tax on government benefits including food stamps received by workers at companies with 500 or more employees, according to the Washington Post. For example, “if an Amazon employee receives $300 in food stamps, Amazon would be taxed $300.”

Sanders wants those large employers to fully cover the costs of food stamps, public housing and Medicaid, among other federal assistance program received by their employees. The Senator specifically mentioned companies such as Amazon, Walmart and McDonalds.

Sanders says the goal is to “force corporations to pay a living wage and curb roughly $150 billion in taxpayer dollars that go to funding federal assistance programs for low-wage workers each year.”

Source: National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.