BREAKING NEWS: House Passes Farm Bill Without Including Food Stamp Funding. What does this mean for Bronxites?

image

The Washington Post just issued a news alert that the House has passed the Farm Bill without funding for the Food Stamp program otherwise known as SNAP or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

House Republicans have threatened to reduce funding for the program and it appears they are carrying through with their promises.

What does this mean to the Bronx which is home to the poorest congressional district in the nation?

It means that if and when the cuts are made, Bronxites who depend on the program to feed themselves and family, will have a greater difficulty in doing so. This is simply unacceptable for folks who suffer from food insecurity issues and children are already going hungry.

Congressman Jose Serrano D-NY who represents the Bronx said on twitter that, “Republicans…are turning their backs on the poor and the hungry.” While Senator Kristen Gillibrand D-NY thanked her colleagues in the House on twitter for, “…fighting against the GOP’s unprecedented step of splitting [the] #farmbill to remove #SNAP funding from bill.”

What does it say about a society when we treat our most vulnerable population with such disregard? How are families to make ends meet?

More on the issue:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/us/politics/house-defeats-a-farm-bill-with-big-food-stamp-cuts.html?_r=0

http://www.breakingnews.com/topic/us-farm-bill-2013

Facebook Comments
Ed García Conde

Ed García Conde is a life-long Bronxite who spends his time documenting the people, places, and things that make the borough a special place in the hopes of dispelling the negative stereotypes associated with The Bronx. His writings are often cited by mainstream media and is often consulted for his expertise on the borough's rich history.