For rural communities in Maine, the Farm Bill represents an enormous opportunity for growth. Every five years, lawmakers in Washington are able to make adjustments that can make or break family farms.

But the bill does more than that. It also reauthorizes SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, which helps feed 180,000 Mainers.

This year, Republicans in the House included harsh and harmful changes to SNAP in their version of the Farm Bill. Rep. Bruce Poliquin in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District was among those who voted for a Farm Bill that makes harsh cuts to the SNAP program. Those changes will result in cuts to food assistance that would hurt those who SNAP helps.

According to GSFB.org, Maine’s children and seniors are going hungry as it is. Maine is ranked ninth in the nation for food insecurity. One-in-five children in Maine lives in poverty. Sixteen percent of Maine’s elderly are at risk of going hungry. We cannot turn a blind eye to them.

The Senate has a bipartisan version of the farm bill that protects SNAP and has a proven approach to helping people meet their basic needs, as well as gain the skills they need to be successful in today’s workplace.

I hope that Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King show leadership on the issue by working to ensure the final bill contains the Senate’s SNAP provisions. They should oppose any attempt to include changes that would make it more difficult for Mainers to put food on their tables.

Mary Beth Paquette, Monmouth