Lakhota
Diamond Member
Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) took to the floor of the House of Representatives this morning to address former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich's recent custom of calling President Obama the "Food Stamp President."
Gingrich's insistence on repeating the racially-tinged charge has garnered significant outcry from minority and food assistance advocates, as well as support from fellow conservatives, who tout the increase of food stamp recipients under Obama as proof of Gingrich's claim.
Under President Obama, 14.2 million new recipients have been added to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
With a knowing smirk, and armed with statistics, Gutierrez worked to set the record straight -- maintaining that the real "food stamp presidents" are the two Bushes, George H.W. Bush and son George W. Bush, who jointly extended nutritional assistance to 18 million additional recipients at a cost of $36 billion dollars.
"It runs in the family," he said, "Food Stamp President senior and junior. It's hereditary -- a rampant family disease that makes them want to give food to poor people."
Gutierrez closed his statements by calling for non-partisan cooperation on the issue. "Hunger knows no race or religion or age or political party," he Guitierrez said. "Hunger is colorblind."
More (Text & Video): Luis Gutierrez Rebuffs Newt Gingrich's 'Food Stamp President' Claim About President Obama (VIDEO)
Food Stamp President(s) - Oh SNAP! - YouTube