GOP Slash Food Aid For Low-Income Women And Children

Republicans Slash Food Aid For Low-Income Women And Children, But Dodge Farm Subsidy Cuts

WASHINGTON -- Republicans have quietly maneuvered to prevent a House spending bill from chipping away at federal farm subsidies, instead forging ahead with much larger cuts to domestic and international food aid.

The GOP move will probably prevent up to $167 million in cuts in direct payments to farmers, including some of the nation's wealthiest. The maneuver, along with the Senate's refusal Tuesday to end a $5 billion annual tax subsidy for ethanol-gasoline blends, illustrates just how difficult it will be for Congress to come up with even a fraction of the trillions in budget savings over the next decade that Republicans have promised.

Meanwhile, the annual bill to pay for food and farm programs next year would cut food aid for low-income mothers and children by $685 million, about 10 percent below this year's budget.

Direct payments to farmers have been a frequent target of fiscal conservatives and other critics of farm programs because they are paid regardless of crop price or yield. They have survived for years, along with tens of billions annually in other subsidies for farmers, because a powerful coalition of farm state lawmakers in both parties has protected them.

Farmers can now make as much as $750,000 annually and still receive subsidies, but one proposed amendment would lower the threshold for some to $250,000, saving about $20 million annually. Another proposed amendment would have dipped into direct payments to pay a $147 million annual payment the United States makes to Brazil as a settlement in a World Trade Organization dispute over cotton subsidies.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/1 ... 77265.html

Dang, you gotta love those "compassionate conservatives"... As long as the mega-farms & Agri-Business get their handouts, who gives a flip about women and children?

Oh, and then there is....:

House Republicans Cut Food Assistance For Low-Income Families While Protecting Azaleas

WASHINGTON -- If you're an azalea at the National Arboretum, you're in luck -- a Republican on the House Appropriations Committee is looking out for you. If you're a woman, infant or child, however, you're on your own.

Slipped into the FY 2012 agriculture appropriations bill that the House is expected to take up today is an unusual provision on page 13 requiring the National Arboretum to maintain a very specific portion of its azalea collection.

"The Committee directs the National Arboretum to maintain its National Boxwood Collection and the Glenn Dale Hillside portion of the Azalea Collection," reads the bill. "The Committee encourages the National Arboretum to work collaboratively with supporters of the National Arboretum to raise additional funds to ensure the long-term viability of these and other important collections."

While azaleas are being carefully tended to, the bill would cut $832 million from a program that provides food assistance to low-income mothers and children. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that the reduction could result in as many as 475,000 people being turned away from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) if food prices continue to rise.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/1 ... 76568.html


Ya gotta love it.... It's their own damned fault for being poor, right?

The Party-of-Selfish strikes again...

Politics sucks. Politicians suck. Handouts suck. Those that expect handouts suck even more than politicians. Blood suckin leeches on the ass of society. Paying farmers to not grow sucks. Farmers sitting on their asses getting paid and being happy about it suck even more. Blood suckin leeches on the ass of society. An Arboretum? Fawking pork projects suck. Lobbyists that get pork projects put into budgets suck even more. Blood suckin leeches on the ass of society. I'm gonna stay out of it today - I might manage to be the first one banned form this site. Fawking blood suckin leeches suck.

BTW, the free luch program sucks.

WIC is about as close to a decent program that I can think of. It helps Moms that can't care for their babies. It gives them things the baby needs. It doesn't give them junk food, cigarettes or booze. It gives them milk. I can deal with that. Having a mom that's a blood suckin leech on the ass of society isn't the baby's fault.

huffington post??? Since when have given the straight story on anything????

billonthehill wrote: huffington post??? Since when have given the straight story on anything????

Don't bash LJ's bible. she'll come out swinging, and call you a Fox lover.

I think, therefore I don't read the liberal rag.

Personally I am more upset that the Senate is continuing to finance ethanol. With worldwide food shortages and high prices for farm products, now would be th eperfedt time to wean agriculture off this program.

LJ,
If the bill passes the Senate and is signed by Obama, they would be complicit in denying food aid to kids too.

"Obama Guilty Of Giving Coporate Welfare To Agriculture While Denying Food To Babies"

The bills are the bills... They are easy to look up and read... You want to bash HuffPo for pointing out the hypocrisy of the GOP, be my guest... It doesn't alter what's in the legislation, does it....

LadyJazzer wrote: The bills are the bills... They are easy to look up and read... You want to bash HuffPo for pointing out the hypocrisy of the GOP, be my guest... It doesn't alter what's in the legislation, does it....

The bills suck - in part. Cutting is good. Continuing pork sucks.

And the huffington post isn't fit to line a bird cage. Making a bird poop on that rag should be considered cruelty to animals.

We are seeing a giant shift of wealth from the very poor, to the very rich. Thats what Republicans are all about..Just like in Wisconsin-Give 160 million dollars to filthy rich people, and pay for it by taking teachers pensions and insurance coverage. Good work guys!

LadyJazzer wrote: Dang, you gotta love those "compassionate conservatives"... As long as the mega-farms & Agri-Business get their handouts, who gives a flip about women and children?

Hypocrits
http://exiledonline.com/teabagger-queen ... n-welfare/