- Gridlock in Congress keeps food stamp funding higher in Oregon, By Jim Myers, September 1, 2013, The Oregonian: “Food stamp programs in Oregon and across the nation continue to be saved from billions of dollars in budget cuts and other major changes by an unlikely savior: Congressional gridlock. In a clear case of unintended consequences, the much-criticized trend in Congress to accomplish nothing of lasting significance entered its second year of no food stamp overhaul. Until Congress acts, states will receive the same level of benefits. That’s a big deal in Oregon, where one in five Oregonians benefit from the state’s program, which receives about $1.2 billion annually…”
- As debate reopens, food stamp recipients continue to squeeze, By Sheryl Gay Stolberg, September 4, 2013, New York Times: “As a self-described ‘true Southern man’ — and reluctant recipient of food stamps — Dustin Rigsby, a struggling mechanic, hunts deer, dove and squirrel to help feed his family. He shops for grocery bargains, cooks budget-stretching stews and limits himself to one meal a day. Tarnisha Adams, who left her job skinning hogs at a slaughterhouse when she became ill with cancer, gets $352 a month in food stamps for herself and three college-age boys. She buys discount meat and canned vegetables, cheaper than fresh. Like Mr. Rigsby, she eats once a day — ‘if I eat,’ she said. When Congress officially returns to Washington next week, the diets of families like the Rigsbys and Adamses will be caught up in a debate over deficit reduction…”
Tag: Budget cuts
States and Sequestration Cuts
States brace for new round of sequester cuts, By Elaine S. Povich, August 21, 2013, Stateline: “States have been forced to gear up for a potential second round of across-the-board federal spending cuts after Congress left for its summer recess without a budget deal. Another round of sequestration would reduce federal spending on everything from Meals on Wheels to Head Start, according to Federal Funds Information for States. FFIS is a Washington group that helps states manage their federal money…”
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- California discourages needy from signing up for food stamps, By Evan Halper, August 17, 2013, Los Angeles Times: “It was not surprising that Texas held out. For years, Texas was among a handful of states that required every resident seeking help with grocery bills to first be fingerprinted, an exercise typically associated with criminals. Even though Republican Gov. Rick Perry ultimately got rid of the policy, Texas — always seeking to whittle down ‘big government’ — remains one of the most effective states at keeping its poor out of the giant federal food stamp program. But it is not No. 1. That distinction belongs to California…”
- Food stamp cut backed by Republicans with voters on rolls, By John McCormick and Greg Giroux, August 13, 2013, Bloomberg: “As the U.S. economy recovers from the worst recession since the Great Depression, the explosive growth of food stamps remains a lingering legacy. And now the program comes with an irony, as the Republicans seeking to cut it also represent vast numbers of recipients…”