‘Immoral’ that GOP stripped food stamp program

Speaking about the controversial Farm Bill that also authorizes funding food stamps, Congressman David Cicilline said the House GOP “made a clear choice to protect generous subsidies for agriculture corporations at the expense of the hungry and working poor.”

He’s right. According to the New York Times: “Republicans muscled a pared-back agriculture bill through the House on Thursday, stripping out the food stamp program to satisfy recalcitrant conservatives but losing what little Democratic support the bill had when it failed last month. It was the first time food stamps had not been a part of the farm bill since 1973.”

Cicilline said about 1/5 of Rhode Island will be adversely affected by the GOP’s decision.

“Make no mistake today House Republicans are telling hungry children food banks struggling to meet the needs of their community and low-income seniors who depend on food assistance that there needs don’t matter,” he said. “They are not extraneous. This is disgraceful, it’s immoral and it’s contrary to our values as a nation.”