Peter DeFazio (D-OR) uses grocery trip to warn against food stamp cuts

[Poll_Blind]

U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., flips through coupons on Monday as he goes on a shopping trip designed to draw attention to a Republican plan to slash the federal food stamp program. DeFazio tried to stay within the average weekly food stamp budget of $31.50 at the Springfield WinCo grocery store. He was joined by FOOD for Lane County Executive Director Beverlee Hughes (right). (Brian Davies/The Register-Guard)

From The Register-Guard:

Congressman Peter DeFazio pushed his shopping cart through the multicolored aisles of the Springfield WinCo grocery store Monday on an unusual mission.

Joined at the Olympic Street store by FOOD for Lane County Executive Director Beverlee Hughes, and swarmed by camera-­toting media professionals, the Oregon Democrat loaded up his cart with Raisin Bran cereal, instant coffee, corn tortillas, green peppers, cheese and other food to last him through the week.

Using the average per-person weekly allocation from the federal food stamp program, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, DeFazio planned to spend $31.50 at Winco. But he failed to pull it off, ending up spending $1.07 more than that amount when he got to the checkout stand.

DeFazio staged his offbeat shopping trip as a protest against both of the nearly trillion-dollar 10-year farm bills Congress is working on. DeFazio’s point: $31.50 — never mind $32.57 — doesn’t buy very much, and it makes no sense to cut that meager amount, as Congress is proposing.

More at the link!

PB

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Every damn one of Reps. and Senators should be forced to do

that. I'll even give them a 'family's' worth of money, so if they're married with a kid they get what any 3 person family in their home state would receive.

[corkhead]

2. along with having the same healthcare and retirement systems the rest of us have.

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Poll Blind.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Thanks for posting this!

nt

[pnwmom]

5. This is what we would be talking about if it weren't for that Snow job

we just had.

[quakerboy]

6. I wish they had shown what he got in the end

And it would be interesting to see the difference between what he got at Winco, and at some more typically priced grocery store. Maybe one of the many Kroger variants, since they seem to be pretty much everywhere.

And anyone who wants to vote on it all should go experience what the actual numbers mean.

[longship]

7. I love Peter DeFazio!

Especially when he gets his britches in a bunch on the floor of the House. Oregonians are very lucky to have him. Wish we could clone him for here in rural west Michigan.

R&

[frylock]

8. DeFazio walks the walk.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

9. That's my Congressman, a man for the people.

He has also been trying for years to get an audit on the Dept of Defense.

[Jamastiene]

10. They should all have to do that.

They would think twice about making any cuts if they had to scrimp so much at the grocery store.

[Spike89]

11. Great! My Congressman and the store where I shop

It is about the cheapest supermarket in the area (outside maybe the canned food warehouse). If you're going to stretch your food stamps, that is the place, but even there they don't go far.