Congress passes $8.7 billion food stamp cut, bill now heads to Obama's desk for signature

[Cali_Democrat]

Congress passes $8.7 billion food stamp cut
02/04/14 03:13 PM—Updated 02/04/14 06:58 PM
By Ned Resnikoff

It’s official: 850,000 households across the country are set to lose an average of $90 per month in food stamp benefits.

The Senate on Tuesday voted 68-32 to send the 2014 Farm Bill – which includes an $8.7 billion cut to food stamps – to President Obama’s desk. Nine Democrats opposed the bill, and 46 members of the Democratic caucus voted for it, joining 22 Republicans.

The House passed the law by a similarly commanding margin last Wednesday. After the House vote, White House press secretary Jay Carney made clear that the president would sign off on the legislation.

“We are pleased by the progress that we’ve seen,” Carney said last week. “As you know, the president made clear last fall that this was something that he believed Congress needed to and could act in a bipartisan way to get done. Obviously we’re not there yet. Final legislation has not reached his desk. So we await that happening and hope it does. If the bill, as it is currently designed, reaches his desk, he would sign it.”

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/congress-passes-farm-bill-food-stamp-cuts

[Mass]

1. Thank you to my senators who did not vote for this

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=2&vote=00021
Which I understand given that MA and NE got a disproportionate part of the cuts. I understand also the reason why (heat and eat), but for these families $70 is a lot.

http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-on-farm-bill-cuts-to-snap-would-lead-to-more-hungry-families-and-children-

Washington (February 4, 2014) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement today after voting against passage of the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill cuts the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by $8.6 billion over ten years. Nationally, it is estimated that 850,000 households will suffer cuts to benefits. In Massachusetts, 125,000 households may lose $70 per month in food assistance.

[historylovr]

2. Shameful. nt

[liberalmuse]

3. Heartless.

I really wish karma weren't a fantasy when I read stories like this.

[Travis_0004]

4. It seems like a lot of these cuts are closing a loophole

A lot of states have a practice sometimes reffered to as heat at eat. If a resident lives somewhere a and they don't have an energy bill (included in rent), they sometimes get signed up for a very small check from a heating assistance program (LIHEAP). This check might be 5.00 a year or less.

Because they are signed up for LIHEAP, they can deduct the full amount allowed under state law for utility bills (even if they have no bills), so they are getting deductions based on expenses they never incurred. I really don't have a problem limiting this practice to people that get an actual check from LIHEAP (not a trivial check just to get a deduction).

People affected by this can still deduct utility expenses when calculating their net income for food stamp benefits, so this change simply makes the program more fair for everybody.

http://www.msnbc.com/all/food-stamp-users-face-another-hit