Severe Food Stamp Cuts Likely

Even in a struggling economy with many Americans still needing federal assistance, food stamp budget cuts are not off the table in Washington. 

Representatives in Congress approved a bill on Monday that cuts the country's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by $4.1 billion over the next 10 years. 

This is in addition to the farm bill passed last month by the House Agricultural Committee, which declared over $20 billion in cuts to the same program.  This farm bill has yet to pass the House floor, and is speculated to pick up even more cuts from conservatives. 

The bill cuts programs like "Heat and Eat", which coordinates heating assistance with standard SNAP benefits for low-income households in some states. 

While a minority of our representatives is against these cuts, even the Democratic side of the aisle is showing their support. Senator Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat from Michigan, has stated that these cuts are merely a preventative measure to halt "waste, fraud, and abuse" within the program.