Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Democrats target Republicans who receive farm subsidies but voted for farm bill without food stamps

George Miller
"House Democrats are targeting Republicans who receive farm subsidies but opposed a stripped-down farm bill with no food stamp assistance," Ginger Gibson reports for Politico. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) released a report Monday saying 14 GOP lawmakers who voted for the bill with no nutrition programs "have received a total of $7.2 million in farm subsidies" since 2004, and have a net worth of $124.5 million.

The reports says 14 Republicans --  Robert Aderholt (Ala.), Blake Farenthold (Tex.), Stephen Fincher (Tenn.), Vicky Hartzler (Mo.), John Kline (Minn.), Doug LaMalfa (Calif.), Tom Latham (Iowa), Frank Lucas (Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), Randy Neugebauer (Tex.), Kristi Noem (S. Dak.), Marlin Stutzman (Ind.), Mac Thornberry (Tex.), and David Valadao (Calif.). -- previously voted to give states large financial incentives to get families off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the formal name for food stamps. To read the report click here.

The House farm bill "originally included funding for SNAP, but when it failed to get enough votes in the House in June, Republicans stripped food stamp funding from the bill to gain enough GOP support for passage," Gibson notes. The bill passed the House almost entirely along party lines. (Read more)

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