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US Congress to slash food aid program
[Iran Press TV] At a time when many Americans are struggling with unemployment and the soaring prices of goods, US Congress has decided to cut a food assistance program from the budget.The Congress is considering the elimination of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), in an attempt to reduce the country's burgeoning debt, a Press TV correspondent reported. Some 44 million Americans received SNAP benefits in March, which is an eleven percent rise from last year, and almost 61 percent higher than the percentage four years ago. While US President Barack B.O.Obama supports an increase in the funding of the food aid program, conservatives in the Congress have insisted on cutting it from the country's spending. SNAP annually costs USD 70 million. Republicans are also seeking to change SNAP from being an entitlement program to a block-grant program, bounded to individual state laws. "I think there are inefficiencies in the food stamp program, but to be honest, I think a lot of that comes from the administrative side. I don't see a lot of fraud. I also do not see a lot of people who are intentionally violating the program requirements," said food stamps attorney, Stacy Braverman. This comes as more than 20 million American families rely on food stamps for their survival. Posted by: Fred 2011-06-03 |
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