Alcee Hastings Attacks Republicans Over Cuts to Food Stamps

Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., spoke out against cuts to food stamps after legislation passed in the House of Representatives Wednesday that would cut $39 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over a decade.

This ill-advised legislation cuts roughly $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP for short. It is downright short-sighted, mean-spirited, and unacceptable," said Hastings. "In Florida, nearly 1.7 million households participate in SNAP. In my congressional district alone, 51,000 households receive SNAP benefits. For these Americans and the 50 million more struggling to put food on the table this plan is a poison-pill that takes food off the tables and out of the mouths of the most vulnerable individuals.

Ninety-two percent of people on SNAP are children, elderly, disabled, or already working. Cutting SNAP benefits for vulnerable and struggling Americans in the name of fiscal responsibility is just plain wrong. There are most certainly other ways to cut our national deficit that do not result in 50 million empty stomachs.

Republicans cited the example of a surfer in Californiawho said he used his food stamps to buy lobster. They also said the aid programs, which have expanded rapidly since the economic downturn, are too often viewed as a permanent government subsidy rather than short-term relief.

The reforms made by this bill will put people on the path to self-sufficiency and independence, said House Majority Leader Eric Canton, a Virginia Republican.

The legislation was passed with a vote of 217-210.

In June, nearly 3.6 million Floridians received SNAP benefits, more than twice the 1.45 million who received them five years ago before the economy tanked.In 2008, before the recession,Floridians received nearly $1.8 billion in SNAP benefits. Just last year, that number had skyrocketed to $5.6 billion.

Votes to approve the bill came from several Florida Republicans, including Reps. Tom Rooney, Gus Bilirakis, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Steve Southerland.