By Eric W. Dolan/Raw Story
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Wednesday called for an overhaul of the SNAP program — which provides food stamps — by requiring states to determine how they ration benefits instead of the federal government.
“Our system of helping ensure that no one goes hungry in our country is a noble one, but we’re now asking to spend $750 billion on food stamps,” he said on the Senate floor. “When we ask this, we need to remember that recently a woman in Chicago faked the birth of triplets in order to receive $21,000 in food stamps.”
“We need to remember that millionaires, including Larry Ficke, who won $2 million, are still receiving food stamps because he says he has got no income. He has got $2 million but no income.”
Last year, Ficke won $2 million from the Michigan lottery, but was still allowed to collect food stamps because of a loophole.
“So we’re paying millionaires food stamps,” Paul added. “It’s out of control. It’s not about helping those in need. It’s about being wise with the taxpayer dollars and not giving people $20,000 a year in food stamps.”
Paul offered an amendment to the farm bill that would convert the SNAP program into block grants, requiring states to administer the program. The amendment would have cut $280 billion over the next decade by freezing annual funding at $45 billion, according to Paul. The amendment failed by a 65-33 vote.
The farm bill already proposes a $4.5 billion cut to the SNAP program over the next 10 years. The cuts would result in an average benefit cut of $90 per month for nearly a half a million households, according to Congressional Budget Office.
Watch video, uploaded to YouTube on June 13, below:
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