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Thursday, May 23, 2013
Four Billion Dollar Cut To The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Last week, the Senate Agriculture Committee approved the FARRM Act of 2013, which includes a four billion dollar cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as "food stamps." Yesterday, that bill was introduced in the full Senate, and one lawmaker is going to great lengths to convince his colleagues to reject all of the proposed cuts. Democrat Chris Murphy of Connecticut will attempt to eat for one week, using only $3 dollars a day, which is about the same amount that SNAP recipients have to survive on. In addition to the four billion in cuts proposed by the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Republican-led House Agriculture Committee wants to see another $20 billion cut from the program. Senator Murphy won't have to deal with other difficulties experienced by those who rely on SNAP benefits, like social stigma, but his effort will demonstrate how hard it will be for the vital program to absorb these draconian cuts proposed by Congress. It's shameful that Congress is even considering cuts to SNAP, which exists solely to ensure people aren't starving in the streets, all so they don't have to ask the wealthy to pay a little bit more in taxes. Hopefully, lawmakers will learn something from Senator Chris Murphy's experience, and reject all cuts to this important program.
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10 comments:
Chris Murphy you are a moron. It states it is SUPPLEMENTAL. It is not suppose to be the total you spend on food. You are expected to pitch in some of your own money rather than just rely on someone else to feed you.
seems like the people on snap spend more at the grovery store then i do
S.N.A.P. is meant to provide subsistence for individuals, it's meant to be a safety net and to provide a little more for those struggling to provide enough for themselves. That;s why Sen Murphy's actions are little more than a side show. If it the money pilfered from wage earners was meant support families there would be no wage earners. To be truly effective the Senator needs to add in his extravagant earnings to supplement handouts.
If the limited the purchases to healthy items (fruits/veggies/standard meat cuts) and eliminated chips/sodas/processed foods while means testing recipients for drug/nicotine/alcohol use they would have less folks actually on the program.
To read that programs like these allow recipients to get more money than they would earn at a job is disheartening. It also means that these programs are too good and/or our lower paying jobs don't provide a living wage and/or everything costs too much because the rich can afford to pay more...
"..Last month, the Senate Budget Committee reported that in fiscal year 2012, between food stamps, housing support, child care, Medicaid and other benefits, the average U.S. Household below the poverty line received $168.00 a day in government support..."
That's lots more than I get.
The govt is busy trying to sign as many people up for SNAP as possible. This program is one of the many Obama is using to try to get people hooked on welfare/govt benefits to keep them voting for democrats.
This program needs much bigger cuts-- it is almost 90% of the money in the Farm Bill.
The the people in DC think it is ok to keep raising taxes which decreases what we bring home to feed our family even though some people are working 2 and 3 jobs to support their family, all the while they want to give the people that don't want to work more money. Everyone has had to cut back they should have to also. Maybe if we didn't give them so much they would go out and find a job!
WOW, that means they are going to have to work for their food. CANT have this! Welfare nation!
Senator Chris Murphy is a Democrat. That in itself speaks volumes!
He is playing the pity party game to make you feel guilty about taking away food stamps. I say make these lazy bums get a job like many of us have to. I am tired of working to support the lazy.
No time for work ...got to get home and watch "As the World Turns" and eat.
Food stamps were meant to be used by people having financial struggles. They were people that hit a lot spot and needed some assistance until they got back on their feet. Many of the people that are presently getting food stamps were raised on food stamps for at least one or two generations. Their families have never worked, or worked and paid under the table. The food stamp program has ALWAYS been plagued with fraud and I don't see that ending any time soon.
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