The House-passed plan to convert SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps) to a block grant and cut the program by almost 20 percent rests on the false claim that the program is experiencing “relentless and unsustainable growth.”
Figure 1 of her CBPP discussion says a lot. First of all – the rise in food stamp recipients is a consequence of the Great Recession. As the economy recovers, food stamp payments are projected to decline. Of course countercyclical fiscal policy is seen as a bad thing by this generation of Herbert Hoover Republicans.
The other thing to note is that food stamp expenditures were less than 0.3 percent of GDP before the Great Recession and are projected to fall below 0.3 percent of GDP over time. As usual – GOP fiscal “discipline” is limited to big cuts in small programs.
Agreed, and they at it on a bunch of other ones as well.
ReplyDeleteCalling today conservatives "Herbert Hoover Republicans" is not only a gross misrepresentation of history, but a slander on Hoover's compassion for those in need. Hoover instituted massive Federal government funded investment in infrastructure to create jobs by providing credit to the States and local governments. You can criticize Hoover for being opposed to government regulation of business, and opposed to workers having any say in their pay, benefits, working conditions, and safety, but he oversaw far more public works project spending than Obama has.
ReplyDeleteOK - Herbert Hoover was smarter than today's Republican leaders!
ReplyDeleteNewt gets the Marie Antoinette Award for 2011 with the revelation of his Tiffany's account in the range of $250-600K. In fairness to Newt, though, he has always been protective of the family jewels so long as he has custody and control; but I think #3 has a lien on these.
ReplyDelete