Republicans To Slash Food Stamps

[Purveyor]

Source: POLITICO

By DAVID ROGERS | 4/16/12 12:04 PM EDT

Food stamps moved front-and-center in the budget wars Monday morning, as House Republicans began rolling out a first wave of $33.2 billion in 10-year savings that will have an immediate impact in the farm bill debate and come November, the 2012 elections.

An average family of four faces an 11 percent cut in monthly benefits after Sept. 1, and even more important is the tighter enforcement of rules demanding that households exhaust most of their savings before qualifying for help. This hits hardest among the long-term unemployed, many of whom never before used the aid –now titled SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)—but have found it valuable in trying to stay afloat in the current recession.

Indeed food stamp enrollment and costs have exploded since the financial collapse four years ago, making SNAP a target for the right— but also far bigger political issue in swing states like Florida, Nevada and Ohio.

National food stamp enrollment reached 46.4 million people in January 2012, a nearly two-thirds increase from the average participation in fiscal 2008. The annual costs—now running in excess of $80 billion—have more than doubled in the same period. And even the most ardent food stamp proponents will sometimes say SNAP is a program “asked to do too much.”

MORE...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/75190.html

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/75190.html

[banned from Kos]

1. Roughly 50 million people on food stamps and 49% are children

Its the most humane $80 billion we spend every year at about 2% of our budget.

Fuck the GOP and their starvation panels.

[brooklynite]

19. As Newt would say...

"Let those kids get a job!"

[dkf]

2. And that is how an out of control budget affects poor people.

Subsidize more health care, take away food stamps. Sometimes it is a zero sum game.

[Cirque du So-What]

3. Why is it out-of-control?

It's because the GD repugs keep cutting taxes for the wealthiest individuals, that's why.

[toddwv]

13. Spending trillions for wars IN ADDITION to a trillion+ dollar

annual price tag for "defense" certainly doesn't help either.

[CreekDog]

7. what are you talking about? what benefits are going up to account for this loss?

for these families affected? and when will such replacement benefits go up?

WTF?

[Posteritatis]

12. And yet the other side of the equation is never, ever the military. (nt)

[HockeyMom]

4. Just when the price of groceries is sky high

Well, we know who is going to pay for tax cuts for the 1%; the poor, the sick, and the Seniors.

[Iliyah]

5. Got to keep tax cuts to almost zero

for the 1% true Americans cause y'know the little people are worthless anywho.

Y'think the senate will vote for the Buffett Rule, I would be surprised if one gopper crosses over, other than that NO. Remember most of them signed the "devil's" contract.

[Slamdrive]

6. You don't do that at a time of low economic activity

It trumps the recovery.

[movonne]

8. I bet that a portion of the voters that are on food

stamps will vote repug...It really funny that these repugs are so against abortions but would like to starve the children to death...

[jwirr]

9. September 1 - just before election day - I dare them. Well I am a little afraid to dare them but

that makes no sense at all. It is going to alienate as many people as their views on women does.

[olegramps]

10. Just the latest in Republican voter suppression.

Keep the poor in a state of starvation so they can't make it to the polls. And even better yet if they are dead. I think Swift's "Modest Proposal" in which he advised the starving Irish to eat their children with will be their "Final" solution for the pesky problem.

[aquart]

14. Edmund Spenser proposed starving the Irish into submission first.

Ask the English how well that worked.

[Dragonfli]

11. It will take a Democratic president to sign this, so when/if it happens it will be bi-partisan

Technically at least, the Democratic Senators still outnumber the Republican ones also if I recall correctly.

It is fun to blame them, they are flaming lunatics these days, but they could be stopped simply by putting away that hot to sign pen Obama has.

All he has to do, assuming the Democratic Senate passes the food stamp slashing legislation is to put the pen down slowly, and back away from the desk, it is really that simple.

[AndyTiedye]

16. It is Not as Simple as That

All he has to do, assuming the Democratic Senate passes the food stamp slashing legislation is to put the pen down slowly, and back away from the desk, it is really that simple.

Then the whole program expires and millions go hungry. We will have no choice but to compromise with these bastards, because they can hold the poor hostage. We have no corresponding leverage over them. That is the problem, and it will not go away.

[Dragonfli]

20. So you predict the bi-partisan attack on food stamps will be successful, I agree /nt

[AndyTiedye]

25. The GOP and the Media Will Call it "Bi-Partisan"

Just because the GOP has the votes to ram it down our throats doesn't make it bi-partisan.
Just because the GOP-controlled media calls it bi-partisan doesn't mean it is.
Why are YOU so eager to call it bi-partisan?
It only makes it harder to stop.

It is precisely because of the GOP's control of the discourse that the Democrats are being forced to compromise again and again.
That is why the Republicans can vote for these cuts and not take any heat for it.

If the Democrats "stand their ground" and refuse to go along, the program ends.
That's even better for the GOP, because the Democrats get all the blame for the suffering this would create.

[Dragonfli]

26. whatever helps you rationalize it, only Republicans have power and all they need is one branch

to shove anything down our throats, got it, that's why we pushed all of those
Progressive laws down their throats under Bush, right? Or under Obama when we had the awesome power of the house that Republicans now enjoy.

Keep it up, you can do the 180 back to "it takes all three branches to have any effective power" in the next thread when we demure on labor or gay rights or fair taxes, the irony will be lost on you even as a monument is built to honor the depth of your ability to believe both things at once.

It is only a convieient excuse when Democrats claim, no matter what the circumstances, that the other party holds all the power, always, no matter who holds which branches of government.

[IamK]

31. +1

[woo me with science]

28. +100000 This is the truth, of course,

although it will be denied, ignored, and distracted from by the perpetual defenders of rightwing-corporate-neocon-policy-coming-from-neoDemocrats.

The middle class and the poor are under bipartisan attack by our own corporate government.

Occupy.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

15. Occupy Republicans

Occupy them every day

[savalez]

17. Republicans to ruin country.

There, that covers it.

[Daniel537]

18. This is what happens when you don't vote, or vote for the wrong damn party.

Pres. Obama and the Democrats should take this message to poor red states like West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana etc....and tell the people there straight-out, you may not like me, but i won't let you starve.

[lovuian]

21. Republicans go after every program that helps the

poor and yet give tax right off for the rich

[bloomington-lib]

22. Will groceries and farmers complain?

[freshwest]

23. Don't worry. Ann Romney will offer them cake.

[Amonester]

32. +100000000000000000

Feels like History is Ignored, time and again.

[libodem]

24. Effing Idiots

Every foodstamp spent adds $3.00 to the local community economy. Couldn't be a more foolish or cruel move. Suicides aren't taking out the disenfranchised fast enough? They have to stave them to death as well?

[E-Z-B]

27. In unrelated news, the Republicans have voted against the Buffet Rule (millionaire's tax).

[freshwest]

34. Oh, you are a sly dog bringing that up, aren't you?

at a good one.

[MatthewStLouis]

29. This is an election year tactic. GOP voters hate for the government to help poor people.

Last edited Tue Apr 17, 2012, 07:05 PM - Edit history (1)

Even if innocent children are the ones who most benefit.

This story makes me think of my conservative leaning brother in law, who is always quick with some dumb story about waiting in the grocery store checkout line behind welfare mothers with ten children who along with their WIC and food stamp purchases are loading up with cigarettes and alcohol. I guess this indicates that EVERY person who needs this kind of assistance is just a lazy scumbag... damned poor people!

[lib2DaBone]

30. Hungry people get very mean....

Maybe they will contact Republicans and let their feeling be known....

[Amonester]

33. They will be told to go to the Church...

Predictable, sadly.