Congress bickers, food stamps are key

Congress bickers, food stamps are key (Alberta Times) According to data from the Arizona Department of Economic Security and Federal Program Administration, since the recession four years ago...

Congress bickers, food stamps are key (Alberta Times) According to data from the Arizona Department of Economic Security's federal program administration agency, more than 1.1 million people in the state have received food stamps since the recession four years ago, half of them children. The $80 billion annual food subsidy program provided by the federal government has been established for more than 50 years. Its main purpose is to provide food assistance to low-income families, but it has now become one of the focuses of disputes between the two parties and two houses of Congress. The two parties in the Senate reached an agreement to cut food subsidies by $4 billion over 10 years, while House Republicans said they would reduce food subsidies by $16 billion. The House bill would affect 2 million to 3 million people, mostly working families and children, over the next 10 years. It is expected that the Obama administration will also comply with the opinions of both houses of Congress and reduce some food subsidy allocations, but not too much, affecting at least about 30,000 people, most of whom are working-class families and the elderly. Current law stipulates that a family of four earning approximately $2,500 per month, which is less than 130% of the federal poverty index, is eligible to apply for food stamp subsidies from the state Department of Economic and Social Security. The average is $125 per person and $290 per household. Food stamp subsidies do not provide assistance for every meal per day for every qualified applicant (family). Research shows that food stamp subsidies can only help for two or three weeks each month. At other times, the government encourages applicants to earn through their own work.