Republicans Improve Nutrition for America's Poor

Sixteen million American children live in poverty. Many go hungry.

The House of Representatives made drastic cuts to the Nation's food stamp program under a bill titled, H.R. 3102: Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013. Under the bill put forward and supported by all but a few Republicans, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would be cut by $40 billion over ten years. You have to be exceptionally needy to qualify for SNAP (for example, a family of 4 can only have a net income of $1921/mo.), but Republicans feel that too many people receiving benefits from the program would get out and work (or beg on the streets), if they were only starving (some more).

Republicans see a family of 4 on SNAP receiving a handout from the government of $668/mo., or $5.56/day each, and recoil in outrage. "What the hell! Our fossil fuel industry only receives upwards of $52 billion a year, and that has to support the whole damned industry!"

Louie ("go crazy") Gohmert (R-TX)

Under SNAP currently, people between 18 and 50 who do not have any dependent children can get SNAP benefits only for 3 months in a 36-month period, if they do not work or participate in a workfare or employment and training program other than job search. With some exceptions, able-bodied adults between 16 and 60 must register for work, accept suitable employment, and take part in an employment and training program to which they are referred by the local office. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in disqualification from the Program.

One of the things that irks Republicans the most is Michelle Obama's eat healthy program. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) demands to know, "Who's she to tell us how to eat?! Look at her big butt." Clinically obese, Sensenbrenner objects to the First Lady's initiative on two counts: (1) he's not about to give up beer and brats, and (2) he's trying to pass a "nutrition reform" bill that will make "eating healthy" impossible for 16 million American kids.

Jim Sensenbrenner letting it all hang out.

Those of us from Washington State's 4th district need not ask how our representative, Doc Hastings voted. He voted "Yea," because he's a dyed-in-the-wool, go along with the pack, Republican hack, and no one is hungry in his district. Except that people are living in poverty in Pasco and Kennewick at higher levels than state and national averages, and one in seven people in Benton and Franklin Counties are facing hunger.

"Five dollars a day per child is just too darned much!"