Those that know their Constitution must be asking themselves 'why on earth do we still have agricultural subsidies for the elitist few?' As we see it the debate is not if the anti-Constitution congressional greedy should give their US taxpayer-subsidized handouts to another class of handouts, but what gives the fedgov the constitutional authority to create either? Both methods of graft maintain ever increasing consumer prices for ALL Americans. Abolish both along with eliminating waste and fraud that accompany both. It would be a baby step back to the Rule of Law, but a needed step nevertheless. Crawl before you can walk, and walk before you run. As it is now we've put ourselves back in soiled diapers.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
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| Rep. Doug LaMafta |
Ten members of Congress who have benefited from government-funded farm subsidies voted last week to reduce funding for food stamps that help poor people eat.
The lawmakers—all Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives—received agriculture subsidies, either directly or indirectly, through trusts or businesses owned by themselves or their spouses.
They personally benefited from a taxpayer-supported program, then turned around and supported legislation to cut $40 billion over 10 years from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly known as the “food stamp” program).
The 10 GOP representatives are: Robert Aderholt of Alabama, Stephen Fincher of Tennessee, Vicky Hartzler of Missouri, John Kline of Minnesota, Doug LaMalfa of California, Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, Randy Neugebauer of Texas, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Marlin Stutzman of Indiana and Mac Thornberry of Texas.
Rice farmer LaMalfa led the pack. He and his wife, Jill, own one–third of DSL Lamalfa Family Partnership, which received $188,570 in direct payments in 2012 and $5,132,156 total since 1995.
The liberal advocacy group Campaign for America’s Future criticized the effort to reduce funding for SNAP, noting that 47 million Americans in the past year have relied on the program while the nation continues to struggle through “our jobless recovery.”
“It’s perverse to weaken our nation’s first line of defense against hunger and poverty by $4 billion per year while giving hundreds of billions to big corporations that don’t need them,” Derek Pugh wrote on the organization’s website.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
To Learn More:
The 10 Farm Subsidy Recipients Who Voted To Cut Food Stamps (by Derek Pugh, Campaign for America’s Future)
Families on Food Stamps would Suffer while Farms get Fat (by Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times)
23 Members of Congress Receive Farm Subsidies (by David Wallechinsky and Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
