Meredith Lee Hill of Politico reports that House Republicans are itching to cut the food stamp program, but running into opposition from Democrats and farm-state Republicans.
Mike Johnson‘s new role as House speaker heightens the chances of a major political clash next year over one of the nation’s largest welfare programs and the government’s preeminent aid package for farmers and rural America.
The fallout is likely to reverberate in countless congressional races, not to mention President Joe Biden’s attempts to win back rural votersin the 2024 presidential race.
Johnson, more so than previous Speaker Kevin McCarthy, is a proponent of more hardline GOP efforts to overhaul the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the country’s largest anti-hunger program that serves 41 million low-income Americans. As a senior member of the conservative-leaning Republican Study Committee, Johnson backed proposals to roll back food aid expansions under Biden and block states from exempting some work requirements for SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. In 2018, Johnson referred to SNAP as “our nation’s most broken and bloated welfare program.”
Now, the RSC, Freedom Caucus hardliners and other Republicans are pressing to include similar measures in the next farm bill. Such a move would upend the fragile bipartisan coalition needed to pass the legislation — a blow to House Republicans who represent the majority of rural and farm districts, including Johnson, as well as more centrist GOP members who will be fighting for their political lives in 2024.
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Didn’t Jesus say something about feeding the hungry and clothing the needy? Why do these people rattle on about Christianity but ignore the words of its leader?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The answer to your Jesus question……THEY will say that the Lord helps those who help themselves.
“…the Lord helps those who help themselves.
Which “the “Lord” never said.
Which “Lord”?
Or is that “Lard”?
Re: Didn’t Jesus say something about feeding the hungry and clothing the needy? Why do these people rattle on about Christianity but ignore the words of its leader?
They don’t ignore the words — they simply believe in salvation through words alone.
Words, Words, Words …
Yes because the poor aren’t poor enough and Bezos and Musk aren’t rich enough yet.
The source of most of the dysfunction in our society is the vast gap in income and wealth that separates the very rich and the very poor. Taxes should be higher on those who have the most money. I prefer to live in a society with no billionaires.
from Matthew 25, KJV
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
The House GOP want deep cuts to all things public except the military. While many of them invoke the name of Jesus, most of them are right wing, authoritarian hypocrites. We should fear the greedy far more than the needy.
The Fascist Republicans in the House want children to starve and suffer from malnutrition. Since the United States has the third highest population in the world after China and India and also has the 2nd highest child poverty rate among developed nations, that is a lot of children.
“An estimated 14.6 million (or one in five) U.S. children participated in SNAP — formerly known as food stamps — in 2017, according to recently released U.S. Census Bureau estimates using data from the 2018 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP).” — US Census June 30, 2021
These people are just evil —s. — them. And their dogs. And everyone who works for them. Slime.
I have a great idea … make it a part of their duties for their first month in office that they live in subsidized housing with no access to their own money, only $20 per week to buy food. Most of them could afford to lose a few pounds and gain some humanity, too.