Republicans want food stamps cut by $2 billion a year

http://newsok.com/republicans-want-food-stamps-cut-in-farm-bill/article/3685666

Republicans want food stamps cut in farm bill

By JIM ABRAMS | Published: June 19, 2012 Oklahoman

WASHINGTON — The 1,000-page “farm bill” being debated in the Senate is somewhat of a misnomer. Four of every five dollars in it — roughly $80 billion a year — goes for grocery bills for one of every seven Americans through food stamps.

Republicans say Congress could cut the cost $2 billion a year by just closing two loopholes that some states use to award benefits to people who otherwise might not qualify.

“This is more than just a financial issue. It is a moral issue,” says Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., one of several Republicans pushing for cuts in spending for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP.

The program has swelled from 28 million to 46 million participants, and its costs have doubled in the past four years. The recession and slow recovery have increased the number of people unemployed over the same period from 8 million to 12 million.