Sara Murray reported last week at The Real Time Economics
Blog (Wall Street Journal) that, "Nearly a year and a half into
the economic recovery, some 43.6 million Americans continued to
rely on food stamps in November.
"More than 14% of the population drew food stamps in November to
purchase groceries as high unemployment and muted wage growth
crimped budgets. The number of recipients was up 0.9% from
October, according to the
new report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Compared
to a year ago, the number of people receiving food stamps was up
14.2%."
Jerry Hagstrom reported on Friday at DTN (link
requires subscription) that, "Senate Agriculture ranking
member Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said Thursday that food stamps
should be on the table along with farm subsidies in federal
budget deficit reduction, but a key American Farm Bureau
Federation lobbyist said it is unlikely Congress will make a
substantial cut in a program that is feeding 43 million people
during a recession.
"In a telephone call to the annual meeting of the Crop Insurance
Research Bureau here [Indian Wells, Calif], Roberts noted that
the presidential debt commission report, which proposed cuts to
many programs, including farm subsidies, did not recommend
cutting nutrition programs.
"'They are picking what they call farm subsidies rather than
look at the total agriculture budget,' Roberts said. Asked if
his comment meant that food stamps - now officially called the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP - and other
nutrition programs should be included, he said 'we have to look
at the entire budget in terms of whatever percentage Congress
agrees should be cut.'"
The DTN article noted that, "American Farm Bureau Federation
lobbyist Mary Kay Thatcher said in a separate presentation here
that she doubts Congress will cut much from nutrition programs.
"'You can look at those nutrition programs and say that's where
you need to get the money, but you have a couple of problems,'
she said, noting that these programs make up 75 percent of the
USDA budget. Anti-hunger advocates are going to remind the
public that unemployment remains at more than 9 percent,
Thatcher said, and that 43 million people - one in seven
Americans - are on food stamps, and that one of every eight
Americans is lining up at food banks."
Philip Brasher reported on Friday at The Green Fields Blog
(Des Moines Register) that, "GOP budget writers have not yet
detailed where they plan to cut within departments, but if the
Republicans go forward with a goal to roll spending back to 2008
levels, some of the largest cuts would be in food-safety
programs at the USDA and the FDA and in a nutrition program for
low-income women and children, said Ferd Hoefner, a policy
analyst for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Farm
operating loans also would be vulnerable, he said.
"The Women, Infants and Children nutrition program, commonly
known as WIC, could be cut back to $6 billion, if it were rolled
back to the 2008 level. It would get $7.3 billion this year if
the spending level in an expiring spending measure were
extended."
On a separate issue regarding nutrition,
Sheryl Gay Stolberg and William Neuman reported in today's
New York Times that, "After wrapping her arms around the retail
giant Wal-Mart and trying to cajole food makers into producing
nutrition labels that are easier to understand, Michelle Obama,
the first lady and a healthy-eating advocate, has her sights set
on a new target: the nation's restaurants.
"A team of advisers to Mrs. Obama has been holding private talks
over the past year with the National Restaurant Association, a
trade group, in a bid to get restaurants to adopt her goals of
smaller portions and children's meals that include healthy
offerings like carrots, apple slices and milk instead of French
fries and soda, according to White House and industry
officials."