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Undoing the Food Stamp Presidency

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  September 25th, 2012 at 02:15 PM  | 

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Shortly after the November elections, Congress will reconvene for the lame duck session and consider the farm bill at the behest of a bipartisan coalition of statists.  The farm bill is really a food stamp bill.  The House version (H.R. 6083) authorizes $957 billion in spending over 10 years, $756 billion of which will be spent on food stamps and other nutrition programs. The Senate version (S. 3240) authorizes $969 billion in spending over 10 years, $772 billion of which will be spent on food welfare programs.

To put this in perspective, the 2008 farm bill authorized roughly $400 billion in food stamp spending.  In other words, the current farm bill proposals would consummate Obama’s food stamp presidency into the permanent welfare structure.

Instead of doing Obama’s bidding in the lame duck session, John Boehner should bring real welfare reform to the House floor – the State Nutrition Assistance Flexibility Act (H.R. 6518).  This legislation, sponsored by Reps. Tim Huelskamp, Paul Broun, Steve Chabot, and Jim Jordan, would combine  6 food welfare programs into one entity, and block grant it to the states.  Believe it or not, there are 17 different programs dedicated to providing food assistance.  This bill would combine the following 6:

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  • The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
  • Community Food Projects
  • Commodity Supplemental Food Program
  • Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
  • Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)

Unlike the current system in which states are incentivized to increase their food stamp rolls, the block granting plan will cap spending at 2008 levels.  States will also be subject to the work requirements that are supposed to be applied to TANF.  Additionally, the financial aspects of the program will be subject to annual, independent audits that shall be made available to the U.S. Treasury Secretary, the state legislatures, and the general public.

If a bill that is comprised of 80% in food stamp spending can be referred to as a farm bill, then there’s no reason why this bill cannot be used as an alternative to the “farm bill.”

Ask your members of the House if they plan to co-sponsor this bill and implore leadership to bring it to the floor.

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  • commonsenseobserver

    Yeah, it’d be nice for Romney to have clear principles for welfare reform, transportation and infrastructure federalism, and ending corporate cronyism. Would be reasonably popular, and would send a strong signal on deficit reduction.

  • 1stRichard

    “In America, where a democratic constitution has already been established, the communists must make the common cause with the party which will turn this constitution against the bourgeoisie and use it in the interests of the proletariat – that is, with the agrarian ( The populist party, granger movement and such, “a references to the National Reform Association, founded during the 1840s by George H. Evans, with headquarters in New York City, which had for its motto, “Vote Yourself a Farm”.”) National Reformers.” Draft of a Communist Confession of Faith, The Committee Karl Marx, Karl Schapper, H. Bauer, F. Engels, J. Moll, W. Wolff, Manifesto of the Communist Party

  • tetrisd85

    Obuma’s welfare presidency explains this new Bloomberg poll: voters uncertain as Obozo still struggling to hit 50% support. Romney up by 2, 51-49!
    http://media.bloomberg.com/bb/avfile/rhMzOK9Gexhs

  • jrds528

    The food stamp program is truly out of control, not just in terms of its growth but also the rampant abuse of the program. I’ve been speaking to an outraged, retired, self-supporting woman who has a security job in a big-box discount store. Here is what she has been seeing. One guy bought $350 in energy drinks with food stamps. She speculates that he sells the stuff. Another bought $89 worth of crabs’ legs and $90 worth of strip steaks. On top of the food in his cart was a $900 flat screen TV that he had cash to pay for. Others buying large quantities for their restaurants. Others returning the food for cash refunds. This is not a program of compassion. It may be for some but for others it is outright fraud. And the Obama administration is doing nothing about it. How do you justify this to a 75-year old woman who goes to work every day, pays her own medical insurance and watches in disbelief as these leaches carry their expensive food out to their $40,000 suv’s and luxury cars? We are on the verge of anarchy when the only way our President can measure progress is in terms of the growth of government giveaways. It really hurts when I pay the taxes for my small business because I know where the money is going.

  • positiveenerg

    Interestingly (and never mentioned), did you know that those who qualify for “food stamps” also qualify for a free cellphone, a minutes package (with texting and international calling) paid for out of the fees paid by those of us who pay our own cellphone bills? Just another way the “food stamp president” is expanding giveaways in our moocher society. I have no doubt that qualification for food stamps also qualifies for one for a myriad of other benefits. Often programs identify the poor by whether they qualify for an existing program (Head Start, school lunch, food stamps, heating assistance, etc) in order to determine what other benefits one qualifies for … and this administration is using tax dollars to make sure everyone’s getting what they are eligible for (as are some cellphone companies attempting to secure customers who are entitled to free phones with minutes packages that are paid for – who often use and pay for additional minutes/data).

  • pbcons

    The free phone thing has been around for a long time. Don’t blame that on Obama.

  • celador2

    This permanent food stamp bill is much like public employee unions, a gift that keeps on giving votes to Democrats.

  • mrfixit10

    Here’s an idea, lets get the welfare programs out of the “Farm Bill”. One has to do with insuring a steady supply of farm products and protecting the farming community. The other has to do with a program of expanding the dependency on government.

  • mrfixit10

    I gassed up my work truck yesterday at a local convenience store, 15 gallons=$58.35. The lady at the checkout counter presented her EBT card for a balance[ $35.00 ]. She then proceeded to purchase $35.00 worth of candy. I exited the store to drive my 1996 work truck to my next job and she drove her (2008 ?) Acura of into the sunset. I estimate here age to be mid 30′s, I turned 74 in may . Is something wrong with this pecture?