May, 10 2012, 12:46pm EDT
Bombs or Bread; Congress Must Decide
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today released the following video in advance of today's expected vote on the Sequestration Replacement Reconciliation Act which raids, among other domestic programs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to fund the military budget.
The full text follows:
WASHINGTON
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today released the following video in advance of today's expected vote on the Sequestration Replacement Reconciliation Act which raids, among other domestic programs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to fund the military budget.
The full text follows:
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, has been and continues to be a lifeline for 45 million seniors, children, parents, low-wage workers and unemployed persons. About half of all recipients of SNAP benefits are children, approximately eight percent are seniors and 20 percent of households contain people with disabilities. It is imperative that Congress support this vital program instead of drastically cutting it.
Over the last few years, there has been an increase in participation in SNAP; our country has undergone a serious economic recession that millions of Americans still find themselves struggling to overcome. The SNAP program is doing exactly what it is designed to do: react quickly and grow to meet the needs of those who need assistance.
The Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act being considered continues the trend of cutting spending on assistance programs when they are needed most, including SNAP, to fund the continuation of unnecessary and unwarranted wars overseas. Many economists agree that spending for SNAP stimulates the economy; according to Mark Zandi, a $1 increase in food stamp payments boosts GDP by $1.73.
SNAP is a vital assistance program that allows Americans of modest means to avoid hunger. This Congress must act responsibly on behalf of the American people and work to ensure full access to SNAP for our most vulnerable. Funding an already bloated military budget with cuts to the poor is a choice that speaks to the core of who we are as a nation.
Dennis Kucinich is an American politician. A U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1997 to 2013, he was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008.
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