Staggering. Irresponsible. Indefensible. Those are just some of the words that describe the cuts to safety-net program that the House Appropriations Committee approved on Tuesday when they marked up the House version of the FY2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill.
With more than 50 million people facing hunger, the unemployment rate still hovering near 9 percent, and one in eight Americans seeking food from Feeding America food banks, the proposed cuts to safety-net programs that keep millions of women, infants, children and seniors from going hungry would be devastating:
These cuts will reduce the capacity of food banks, pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens to respond to hunger in their communities at the same time that they will see the need increase as participants lose their benefits and turn to local charities to make ends meet.
As if this isn't bad enough, Congress is considering capping the charitable giving deduction, which would have a significant impact on the ability of nonprofit organizations that rely on the charitable deduction to raise much needed funds and on Feeding America's ability to fulfill its mission of providing emergency food assistance.
In the last four years, the number of people seeking assistance from local Feeding America food banks has increased by an overwhelming 46 percent. Any cuts to safety-net programs would push even more struggling families to our network of food banks and pantries, at a time when many are already hard pressed to meet the need in their communities. What's worse, the cuts proposed by the House subcommittee would weaken our ability to feed even the 37 million people we currently serve.
Funding anti-hunger programs is an investment in our future. It saves money in health care costs and improves children's performance in school. It is also the moral and ethical thing for Congress to do.
We keep hearing claims that the deficit must be reduced so that our children do not have to bear its burden. But we will not leave a better future for the next generation by pulling the rug out from under them now.
We recognize the need to cut spending, but it should be done by cutting non-essential and ineffective programs -- not those for which there is tremendous need and which have proven themselves to be highly effective, like the federal nutrition programs.
Our country must not balance the budget on the back of its poor. Urge your representatives in the House to reject the proposed cuts to nutrition assistance when the FY2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill goes to the floor. Instead, ask members to work with their colleagues to craft a budget that addresses the deficit while safeguarding programs that protect our most vulnerable citizens.
Feeding America: Hunger-Relief Charity | FeedingAmerica.org
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At the same time that they approved next year's funding for the Afghanistan occupation, at $300 million dollars per day.
Priorities...
Call your Representatives until they get it. Then call them again.
…a life-time relationship with patient that took years to develop. I have had that experience being abandoned by a 'trusted' doctor after a decade and a half of building a trust. It hurt and also hurt my ultimate relationships with all other doctors to this day. Although she supposedly retired, she gave none of her patients any warning, no nothing, just one day I called to make appointment and was told she no longer took my insurance as of the prior month, though I had been in her office a couple of weeks before. She hurt so many of her once loyal long term patients with her most unprofessional and disrespectful way we were treated when it was all said and done. Long story but like I said, if it weren't for some chronic illnesses I'm suffering, I would never see another doctor again because the trust is gone. I worry about now as well as the future of almost everything that's going on in the country. Some people say we are past a recession, but for me it is not past, far from it and it's a depression for me and it's very depressing to not feel like there's a future worth living for anymore. :(
That said, xanax was probably part of the problem. There are drs who can actually help him. He really needs to find one.
sacrificing the needy in our country, at the same time sending billions to countries like Egypt, Libya, and all the others...Makes no sense to me when our country is in such desperate condition...I am worried...
Thanks tvdebbe3 ,I'm a debi too, btw lol ;)
The politicians on the wrong side of both votes call themselves "values voters."
Just whose "values" are we talking about?
WHY?.............Dickens might have summed it up the best.
`Are there no prisons?'' asked Scrooge.
``Plenty of prisons,'' said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.
``And the Union workhouses?'' demanded Scrooge. ``Are they still in operation?''
``They are. Still,'' returned the gentleman, `` I wish I could say they were not.''
I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there.''
``Many can't go there; and many would rather die.''
``If they would rather die,'' said Scrooge, ``they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides -- excuse me -- I don't know that.''
``But you might know it,'' observed the gentleman.
``It's not my business,'' Scrooge returned. ``It's enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people's. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon, gentlemen!''
Unlimited funding for war, little to nothing for the poor.
Our legislature's answer to unemployment? "decrease the surplus population". How "Christian" of us.
While the already born can drop dead for all they care.
Go figure.
It is a sport in conservative America. Hurt the poor because they are poor is major tenet of right wing belief. The poor will never hire a lobbyist to argue their cause. They will most likely not bother to vote and they may not have photo ID's so even if they wish to vote they will have been disenfranchised.
This story should be a lead story on every news station across the nation but sadly other than those left hungry and possibly starving by the cruel nation America has become probably less than a handful of people will know about this. I'll post it to Facebook and Twitter for all the good that will do.
Vicki, don't forget Obama also has not one but two planned cuts coming to SNAP (food stamps). His claim is that food prices have not gone up since 2008. He is claiming the same reason that there has been no increase in SS for two years, which leads to more hunger and homelessness especially for the disabled, sick and seniors who are already living well below the poverty level and would still be living well below it even with a COLA and food stamp increase.
We got change all right, change for the worse for America's poor while change is so much better into the billions for the top 2% who have never done better than under Obama.
If only this country would elect people who really do care like Bernie Sanders.
Thanks, Vicki for bringing this story here, to my attention anyway. I don't know if anyone else will care enough to click on it.
According to NJ's Gov. Christie single adults and families making more than 5000 dollars a YEAR, do not deserve to have health care, yet there is nothing here on HuffPo about this and nothing in most of the media about this. It's not like it's a secret but it's not being talked about because most Americans do not care.
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I have no clue--none, zero, zip--how ANYone can keep saying that the cost of food, as well as the overall cost of living has not increased since 2008. This is NOT rocket science. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together KNOWS that the cost of almost every necessity has continued to rise. I think the WA elite know it as well. I have come to the conclusion--both reluctantly and with immense grief and anger--that most of those in WA, simply DO NOT CARE about anyone but themselves and their wealthy buddies. That's what it boils down to: they DO NOT CARE! If they ACTUALLY cared, instead of just paying lip service to the poor, elderly, disabled, etc., then they would BEHAVE differently. It's that simple. Their ACTIONS speak much louder than their falsely compassionate words.
There are still a few who DO care, like you mentioned, Bernie Sanders being one of them. I'd put Dennis Kucinich in that category as well, and Sherrod Brown comes close. I'm sure there must be a few more, but I don't think there's nearly enough to offset those who DON'T care, and so we'll see the continuing pillaging of the less advantaged. I am disgusted and sad. This country as we knew it is toast!
I'm afraid I also have to agree with you about this country being toast. We are going to have a master slave society with 2% being the masters. Those too old, sick or disabled to work as slaves will either be allowed to die, as is now happening in AZ and NJ as Medicaid has virtually been ended by Governors Brewer and Christie and that will soon happen across the nation. Even the pretend Democrat governors like NY's Cuomo are going after Medicaid while giving the top 2% in their states more and more with tax cuts. The poor will be gotten rid of by simply letting them die, something that has been a dream of the the right (and now so many Democrats) ever since FDR gave the poor the New Deal.