Abstract
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has help put food on the tables of American families. Food stamps are a Department of Agriculture (USDA) program for low income families covering most foods, although not hot prepared meals or alcohol. This paper is intended to show how and why this program works. Democrats (Liberals) and Republicans (Conservatives) have substantial opposing viewpoints on this issue that will be analyzed and discussed. Both party’s ideas and concerns should be considered as long as the American families, especially the children’s welfare, are not disregarded.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance …show more content…
Republicans and Democrats have very differences of opinion when it comes to low income public assistance programs. Republican representative Paul D. Ryan, Chairman of the Budget Committee, is proposing a budget cut that would devastate the food stamp program. Mr. Ryan’s plan would cut $137 billion from food stamps over the next decade, an 18 percent decline that would terminate benefits for 3.8 million people right away. (Wiseman, 2014) And if Mr. Ryan’s plan to turn food stamps into a state block grant went into effect, Republican states would cut off millions more people. The plan is designed to cut 69% of programs that benefit low or moderate families. Even if the plan does not pass, the Republicans can say they voted for the budget plan to enhance their own party ideas and voter …show more content…
With the number of recipients being extremely high, a loss of benefits could devastate families in the America. The logic of the Republicans is that the loss of benefits supplied through the food stamp program will encourage people to find jobs and take care of themselves. The Democrats believe that people want to take care of themselves, but sometimes circumstances prevent them from being successful and the food stamp program is used for people that really need it. There are truths to both parties’ ideas. There are some people that use the government as a means of surviving instead of finding work. There are also some people, as well as, companies that use food stamps as a way to commit fraud by using food stamps to gain actual money. However, the majority of recipients are only on food stamps temporarily. Most recipients receive benefits for less than one year at a time. If benefits are lost, increases in malnutrition are likely to occur. People are inclined to resort to illegal if they see no means to feeding their families which will result in an increase in the crime rate. Food insecurity can lead to depression and potentially a society of mentally unstable individuals. The hope is that reducing and/or eliminating benefits will stimulate the economy with the working class, but there is no actual proof that will happen. Analysts can only estimate the