The Pump Handle...We have a food problem.
But food cost money. So for some people, the problem is access toenough food. And in the aftermath of a recession, the foreclosure crisis and high unemployment, many more Americans need help putting food on the table. Specifically, many more families are seeking help through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP and previously referred to as the food stamp program.
The food assistance program has found itself in the middle of the frenzy to reduce government spending, with a whirlwind of votes on ways to cut food assistance. Last month, the Senate passed a spending bill that would cut SNAP funds by $4.5 billion over the next 10 years. And yesterday, the House Agriculture Committee went further, passing a proposal with cuts of $16 billion. According to the Food Research and Action Center, the House cut would mean up to 3 million people could lose food assistance and about 280,000 school-age children would no longer be eligible for free school meals.
