CBS host confronts Republican rep.: House farm bill is ‘welfare for the wealthy’
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Farm Bill Passes House, Without Food Stamp Funding
by QR Blog Editor 07-12-2013
For the first time in 50 years, the House of Representatives cut mention of food stamps in the Farm Bill, which passed the House yesterday. The Supplemental Nutrion Assistance Program has historically made up nearly 80 percent of funding in such bills. Following the 216-to-208 vote, the House's decision to go through with the ruling has both parties defensive on this issue. The Washington Post reports:
"The vote made clear that Republicans intend to make significant reductions in food stamp money and handed Republican leaders a much-needed victory three weeks after conservative lawmakers and rural state Democrats revolted and blocked the original version of the bill that included food stamp money."Read more here.
http://sojo.net/blogs/2013/07/12/farm-bill-passes-house-without-food-stamp-funding
House passes massive agri-business welfare bill after Republicans eliminate food stamp program 11 Jul 2013 The House on Thursday narrowly passed a massive farm corporate welfare bill, after Republicans took the risky step of carving out the food stamp program -- a move Democrats effectively boycotted. The bill passed on a 216-208 vote. Zero Democrats voted for it. [Start reading.]
Who are Republicans? They just told us. House Republicans voted to pass a multibillion-dollar subsidy for agribusiness while eliminating support for food stamps.
That's not hyperbole. It happened. They chose
to do it.
This wasn't intended as legislation. It was a
declaration of identity. This is who they are. We knew Republicans fight to
block any tax hikes for millionaires. We knew they want to privatize Social
Security. Now we know they are ready to take food from the mouths of hungry
people.
47 million Americans receive food stamps.
Nearly half are children under 18; nearly 10% are impoverished seniors.
Republicans said they were "extraneous" to the farm bill. But they did nothing
to protect those they kicked off the bus.
The 216 House Republicans who voted for this
bill must be held accountable. Their constituents must learn of the choice they
just made. Campaign for America's Future will take this story directly to media
in their districts. For that we need your help.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Borosage
Co-Director, Campaign for America's Future
On Thursday, the House finally passed the farm bill, which provides funding for agriculture and nutrition programs—but only after Republicans stripped out all provisions concerning the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program.
The massive, five-year farm bill failed to pass the House in late June because conservative Republicans thought that the bill's envisioned cuts to the food stamp program ($21 billion over 10 years) wasn't enough, and Democrats thought it was far too much. The GOP devised a plan to pick up more votes by dividing the legislation, aiming to give the farm provisions a better chance of passage by splitting them from the controversial food stamp provisions. Meanwhile, GOP leaders hoped to garner more conservative votes for the nutrition bill by turning it into a vehicle to make further cuts to food stamps.
So far, their plan is working. The farm bill sans food stamps passed on a party-line vote of 216 to 208, with only 12 Republicans voting against. (Next, Republicans will draft up a separate food stamp bill.)
The President of New York City's Food Bank, Margarette Purvis, slammed the split bill as an attack on the needy, saying it would leave "the fates of 47 million Americans in limbo. This is a sad statement of the priorities of the leadership of this House of Representatives," she continued. "We need Congress to pass a farm bill that reduces hunger, not one that puts billions of meals at risk for the most vulnerable among us—especially when need remains so high."
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) echoed this Thursday. "A vote for this bill is a vote to end nutrition in America," she said.
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/07/farm-bill-passes-food-stamps
Co-Director, Campaign for America's Future
Farm Bill Passes House with Zero Funding for Food Stamps
| Thu Jul. 11, 2013
The massive, five-year farm bill failed to pass the House in late June because conservative Republicans thought that the bill's envisioned cuts to the food stamp program ($21 billion over 10 years) wasn't enough, and Democrats thought it was far too much. The GOP devised a plan to pick up more votes by dividing the legislation, aiming to give the farm provisions a better chance of passage by splitting them from the controversial food stamp provisions. Meanwhile, GOP leaders hoped to garner more conservative votes for the nutrition bill by turning it into a vehicle to make further cuts to food stamps.
So far, their plan is working. The farm bill sans food stamps passed on a party-line vote of 216 to 208, with only 12 Republicans voting against. (Next, Republicans will draft up a separate food stamp bill.)
The President of New York City's Food Bank, Margarette Purvis, slammed the split bill as an attack on the needy, saying it would leave "the fates of 47 million Americans in limbo. This is a sad statement of the priorities of the leadership of this House of Representatives," she continued. "We need Congress to pass a farm bill that reduces hunger, not one that puts billions of meals at risk for the most vulnerable among us—especially when need remains so high."
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) echoed this Thursday. "A vote for this bill is a vote to end nutrition in America," she said.
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/07/farm-bill-passes-food-stamps
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