rssHouse Dems Revolt on SNAP Cuts
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 11:42 am
- 36 Comments
Senate Democrats may have leaned too heavily on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) when funding recent legislation. Initially, they made a $6.7 billion cut to an add-on to the program, a supplement created by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Then, when the state aid bill for which the SNAP cut acted as a pay-for proved more expensive than realized, Democrats increased the cut to about $12 billion. Then, when a sweeping child nutrition bill needed pay-fors, Democrats looked again to SNAP.
Senate staffers insisted that they left the SNAP benefits themselves intact, cutting only from the add-on. In reality, they created a situation where in 2014, a number of families receiving the benefits — and poorest-of-the-poor families, three quarters of them with children, are the recipients — will face a “cliff.” One month, they might get a few hundred dollars, enough for $4.50 per person per day. The next month, the extension will end early, and they will get less.
And now, the House wants the Senate to fix that problem. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has said she is looking for a way to ensure that there is no cliff in benefits before 2014. What’s more, 50 House liberals are urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) not to move on the Senate child-nutrition bill, and to have the House vote on its own version, without the SNAP cuts, instead. Here is the letter, via David Dayen:
We write to express our concerns with several bills that have been recently referred to the House by the Senate. H.R. 1586, funding for Medicaid and education jobs, as well as S. 3307, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, both use improvements made by the ARRA to the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) to pay for the programs included in each bill. While we are strong supporters of the programs funded in these bills, we are disappointed that the Senate used SNAP, a safety-net program that literally keeps families from going hungry, to pay for programs to help provide healthcare for low income individuals and to help teachers keep their jobs. As you know, prior to this vote on H.R. 1586, the Democratic majority has provided historic increases in the SNAP program; yet we are now forced to choose between jobs and healthcare or food for hungry people. This is one of the more egregious cases of robbing Peter to pay Paul, and is a vote we do not take lightly.
While we did not oppose H.R. 1586 because of the critical need for immediate action on state Medicaid funding and education jobs, we respectfully request that the House not consider S. 3307 either during the special recess session or when the House returns for the post-recess session. Instead, we strongly urge the Leadership to schedule H.R. 5504, the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act, for floor consideration in September. This bill provides critical improvements in the school and summer meal programs and will help reduce hunger and obesity in children around this country. The House Education and Labor Committee has completed the mark-up on this bill. We recognize that H.R. 5504 must be offset, and we urge you to work with Chairman Levin, Chairman Peterson and other relevant committees during this recess to identify proper offsets so that the House can consider Chairman Miller’s bill upon return from recess.
We look forward to working with you on this important bill.
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36 Comments
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Comment posted August 11, 2010 @ 6:01 pm
Democrats are smart…or pure evil, depending on your perspective. They cut SNAP now, to fund the teacher union bailo….errrrr, “save teacher jobs”. The GOP will win the majority in the fall. Come early next year, the minority Democrats will propose gigantic increases to SNAP to replace what they just stripped out. The GOP will say no, and then the Democrats will cry about how the GOP doesn't care about poor people and is trying to make kids starve and eat their pets for food, and the lap-dog media will go along and never think to ask about who cut SNAP in the first place.
That's how it works, folks….
Comment posted August 11, 2010 @ 6:35 pm
God forbid that we try to “save teacher jobs” by using as yet unspent Stimulus funds. No, just more spending, more debt, all to further shore up union support for Obama and the “progressive” Dems. Don't even think about reducing spending to offset this additional debt and expenditure. Let's hope enough Americans come to their senses this November and vote out as many of these entrenched Washington weasels from both parties as possible, so that those that remain begin to show fiscal responsibility. Also, here's hoping more governors like Chris Christie are elected who will reduce pork barrel spending, political corruption and stand up to unions to benefit the taxpayers of their states.
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[...] group of Democrats has vowed to keep cuts to SNAP funding from taking effect, including Sens. Sherrod Brown (D- Ohio), [...]
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Comment posted November 24, 2010 @ 2:08 pm
I do not want to come across as non-sympathetic when it comes to people whom could use some temporary assistance with their food bills. There are many needy people out there that are truly needy, willing to work, and appreciative of any temporary assistance they can get. However I have noticed that too many recipients are not needy, able to but don’t work, and are unappreciative of assistance given them. I work as a cashier and am truly amazed that Food Stamp recipients get a credit card to disguise any embarrassment over receiving help. It bothers me to see food stamp recipients coming through my line with a carriage overflowing with all types of food only to pay for mostly lavish items with food stamps, when the older woman behind them is paying for her few generic brand items with a few dollars and a coupon! This is enabling. Why are food stamp recipients all over weight, I thought they were starving. Only in America do overweight people get free food,. Look at pictures of starving people in other countries then look at pictures of our rebellious food stamp recipients. We are not only contributing to their obesities by allowing them to buy chips, cola’s, and cookies, and candy (which they certainly by a lot of) but we will be paying their medical bills related to their being overweight, down the road. I am also appalled what they can and do buy. I only wish that I could buy all brand names, have steaks, and buy carbonated beverages, cookies, and 4.00 Cappachino drinks. They very much eat better than I do and I work two jobs trying to pay for my meals and theirs. I suggest that we have a cashier line for food stamp recipients, and that only food staples such as bread, milk, eggs, hamburg and hot dogs etc. be allowed. Lets not enable these people into unhealthy lives, let’s encourage these people to become productive contributors offer them menial tasks for their benefits. I have to work two jobs for my food! Food stamps should be temporary assistance not an enabled way of life. We are encouraging them to be enabled takers.
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