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FOOD STAMP PROGRAM UNDER OBAMA..... GREW BY 39%.... 21 MILLION AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS OR 14%
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/05/congress-mulls-cuts-to-foo...
Congress Mulls Cuts to Food Stamps Program Amid Record Number of Recipients
May 31, 2011 11:48 AM
The House Appropriations Committee today will review the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill for the Department of Agriculture that includes $71 billion for the agency’s “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.” That’s $2 billion less than what President Obama requested but a 9 percent increase from 2011, which, critics say, is too large given the sizeable budget deficit.
A record number of Americans -- about 14 percent -- now rely on the federal government’s food stamps program and its rapid expansion in recent years has become a politically explosive topic.
More than 44.5 million Americans received SNAP benefits in March, an 11 percent increase from one year ago and nearly 61 percent higher than the same time four years ago.
Nearly 21 million households are reliant on food stamps.
Opponents of the program argue that money from the food stamps budget -- with what they call its increasingly lax requirements -- needs to be shifted to other programs such as education and child nutrition. The program’s supporters argue that at a time of economic decline, such welfare programs are even more important to try to keep Americans from spiraling into poverty.
The cost of the food stamps program has increased rapidly since it was established by Congress in 1964.
It cost taxpayers more than $68 billion last year, double the amount in 2007.
Nutrition assistance now accounts for more than half -- or about 67 percent -- of the USDA’s budget, compared with 26 percent in 1980. That shift in focus, critics say, is ineffective because it hasn’t put a dent in poverty or hunger in the United States while taking away money from other programs, specifically agricultural programs that should be the main focus of the agency.
Even “at a time of prosperity, we have increased the amount of money we are spending for people to buy food,” said Harold Brown, an agriculture scientist and adjunct scholar at the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. “The appropriation of money by Congress has never solved poverty or the resulting problems of poverty. When President Johnson declared war on poverty a half century ago nearly, we thought we saw the end of it as far as food and nutrition goes. For the Department of Agriculture, we only saw the beginning.”
The Republicans’ 2012 budget plan proposes changing SNAP from an entitlement to a block-grant program that would be tailored for each individual state, much like their proposal for Medicaid. States would no longer receive open-ended subsidies and the aid would be contingent on work or job training. It would also limit funding for the program.
The president’s 2012 budget, however, goes in a completely opposite direction. It aims to make requirements less stringent by temporarily suspending for one year the time limit for certain age groups without dependents. The president also suggested restoring benefit cuts that were included in the Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill last year.
http://newmexicoindependent.com/70258/new-mexico-to-end-food-stamp-...
New Mexico to end food stamp supplement
New Mexico will end a food stamp supplement for elderly and disabled residents, according to the Associated Press. The cuts come just as Congress is considering cuts to the food stamp program even as a record-high amount of people are receiving the benefits.
The AP reports that the Human Services Department will stop the supplement on July 1 because there is no money in the state budget for the program. The program cost half a million dollars last fiscal year.
Federal law requires that those who receive food stamps receive at least $16 a month. New Mexico currently provides at least $25 a month for those who qualify for food stamps.
On a federal level, ABC News reported that Congress is considering spending $2 billion less on food stamps than President Barack Obama says in his version of the budget.
A record number of Americans — about 14 percent — now rely on the federal government’s food stamps program and its rapid expansion in recent years has become a politically explosive topic.More than 44.5 million Americans received SNAP benefits in March, an 11 percent increase from one year ago and nearly 61 percent higher than the same time four years ago.
Views: 61
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Christine Rae Moylan on -
Since half of those on Social programs have children by different fathers and are usually living with one or another of these farters and then add in children of illegals and I would say, 2 billion is not a big enough cut. The people who really deserve the help are not really getting it. The illegals know how to scam the programs, it's funny how many don't have a spouse when it comes to applying for benefits. Then you have the Nanny State recipients that have lived off the system for decades. Then you have 10% bilking the Medicare and Social Security systems. It seems 2 billion is just a pittance. Now they want to give free tutition to primary care medical students. It seems it's the era of give, give and give. I just want to know, who is going to pay for all this giving.
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Permalink Reply by Darlinda Hamill on -
Well, you've really named them all, haven't you? What about the honest hard-working families who have lost their jobs, through no fault of their own. The ranks of such families are swelling. I am not on food stamps, and I have paid taxes for many years, but if I lost my job tomorrow, I would probably need that help too. So does that make me a tramp with lots of kids by different fathers, an illegal, or a nanny-state scammer? What does that make my friend, who was gainfully employed for 30 years and suddenly lost his job because of corporate downsizing? What does it make my neighbor whose ex quit paying his child support, and medical insurance, because he lost his job, and she makes barely over minimum wage?
This type of response is an insult to many, who are being unfairly judged by those who have never walked in their shoes. I don't believe that the majority of food stamp recipients are the ones you describe. We need to attack the problem and not the people.
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Permalink Reply by Greg on
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Few are advocating doing away with the Food Stamp program, as some people really do need it. However, it definitely needs reform. First, absolutely NO illegal aliens are allowed to receive it for either themselves or their children. Second, do what FL just did and require any welfare recipient to pass periodic drug tests. Do drugs, then no welfare. Require mandatory job searches to qualify, just as they do with unemployment benefits; and close the loopholes which allow people to intentionally not work and still collect benefits. That would probably cut the rolls in half or more and then the program would be sustainable.
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Permalink Reply by C D on
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You are ON THE RIGHT TRACK but you'll never see it happen with this administration in power. They'll be too overwhelmed with logic and they can't handle that. How sad. Or perhaps I should say it'll be TOO HONEST for this administration. Which-ever.
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Permalink Reply by Billy Miller on
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No one is talking about you, So don't put yourself in that category.
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Permalink Reply by catchesthewind on
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Betcha the illegals are not having their benefits cut.
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Permalink Reply by Darlinda Hamill on
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Betcha you're right! Keep up the heat on our elected officials to deport illegals and CLOSE OUR BORDERS!
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Permalink Reply by sarah d. jimenez on
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this is just so wrong. they need a ssn and a job where they can be taxed just like the rest of us.
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Permalink Reply by Rita Blackmon on
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Have any of you ever heard of a new born being put in the hospital and dying and then a year later the Mom gets three months of WIC for the child or three months of backpay on food stamps? I have and it seems really odd to me.
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Permalink Reply by Lee on
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Destroying the middleclass and creating massive unemployed, poverty-stricken poor class in America wholly dependent on the socialist dictators in government is only one of the many tactics of the communist doctrine.
By the way, once they've destroyed all opposition to their Islamo-Communist agenda, the massive poor will no longer be on "welfare" because their votes/support will not be needed and daily struggles to survive will be the new norm of life.
Live as slaves of the government or die at their hands for disobedience will be be the new rule, if they completely get their way.
We either oppose the socialist government's communist doctrine with all of our might or prepare ourselves to welcome The United Islamo-Communist States of BHO.
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Permalink Reply by Darlinda Hamill on
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If you listen to and believe Glenn, then you know that this has been the long range plan for a long time.
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Permalink Reply by TONY SALAZAR, SC DIST.#5 COORD; on -
The main point of this discussion: If you want to qualify for food stamps, do not be on drugs.... you'll be tested and will pay for your testing.... if you're clean, the test prices will be reimbursed to you. Therefore, many who are on drugs, and getting food stamps, will have to be "clean".
IN simple terms.... food stamps = no drugs..... drugs = no food stamps!
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