House Food Stamp Bill Vote This Week, Obama Vows Veto

House Food Stamp Bill Vote This Week, Obama Vows Veto

on Thu, 19 Sep 2013

With the House expected to vote this week on a Republican food stamp reform bill designed to reduce fraud and encourage self-sufficiency, Democrats have launched a full-scale effort to oppose the measure.

"These cuts to SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] are just a rotten thing to do," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA). "The people who are going to be hurt are the people who are poor." 

Opponents say the GOP food stamp bill, which would save taxpayers nearly $40 billion over 10 years, would throw up to 3.8 million welfare recipients off the food stamp rolls at a time when Americans are struggling to survive the ravages of the Obama economy. 

A closer look at the GOP plan, however, reveals that federal food stamp spending would remain at more than double pre-recession levels.

Pre-recession, taxpayers spent an average $28 billion on food stamps. Under the proposed bill, the projected average cost would be $77 billion.

In total costs, over the last ten years (FY 2003-2012) taxpayers spent $462 billion on the food stamp program. Under the House plan, food stamp spending would total $725 billion over the next decade. 

Moreover, the percentage of people enrolled in the food stamp program would still remain higher than the percentage of the population enrolled ten years ago. Under the House plan, 9.4% of the population (32.3 million people) would participate in SNAP. In 2003, 7.3% of the population received food stamps. 

Total spending next year would remain largely unchanged under the House plan. In FY 2014, taxpayers will spend $80 billion funding the food stamp program. If the House plan is adopted, that figure will be $78.7 billion.