Is Obama Really The "Food Stamp President" As Gingrich Claims?

[Lakhota]

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

 

[Chris]

Gingrich just wants all the food for himself.

 

[blimpo]

Gingrich knows about food. Just look at him.

Maybe he should be on the Cooking channel instead of the nightly news...

 

[Chris]

Gingrich knows about food. Just look at him.

Maybe he should be on the Cooking channel instead of the nightly news...

He eats Reese's peanut butter cups for breakfast.

True story.

 

[waltky]

Foxes watchin' the henhouse...

USDA Lets Retailers Convicted of Food Stamp Fraud Stay in Food Stamp Program
March 8, 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not have a policy to ban food stamp retailers from the food stamp program even when they have been convicted of defrauding the government of benefits because it is costly, according to government auditors.

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which now serves 46.3 million individuals, according to the latest government estimates. The “FNS is also not making use of one of the most powerful tools available to keep bad actors away, not only from SNAP, but from other federal programs they might exploit. ‘Suspension and debarment’ is a legal tool that Federal agencies can use to protect programs from repeat abusers and ensure that the Government does business only with responsible parties,” USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong told lawmakers in remarks prepared for a hearing today before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. “If FNS took steps to debar retailers with a proven record of dishonesty, those individuals would be prevented from abusing other Federal programs.”

“However, in a recent audit, we determined that FNS did not debar any of the 615 wholesalers and retailers convicted in relation to 208 OIG cases, even though a conviction is adequate grounds for debarment,” testified Fong. “While we contend that FNS should consider disqualified SNAP retailers for suspension or debarment, it is not FNS’ policy to do so.” “FNS asserts that it can exclude retailers under the Food Stamp Act, that disqualified retailers are unlikely to pursue other business with the Federal Government, and that debarring these individuals is costly,” said Fong. “Rather than issuing a blanket rule that would exclude disqualified retailers from being suspended or debarred, FNS should consider suspension and debarment on a case-by-case basis. By doing so, FNS can help protect the entire Government by preventing convicted program abusers from entering into transactions with other agencies.”

Furthermore, the inspector general told lawmakers that the USDA does not review the criminal background check on food stamp retailers, which she said creates a problem. According to the USDA, there “are more than 230,000 food stores authorized to redeem benefits.” “We found that FNS does not verify SNAP retailers’ criminal records and therefore cannot comply with its own requirement to deny SNAP authorization to any retailer with a criminal history (i.e., embezzlement, theft, forgery, etc.) reflecting on the business integrity of the owner,” said Fong. “We recommended that FNS begin reviewing retailers’ criminal records, but FNS concluded that our recommendation would need a regulatory change and may not be cost beneficial. We accepted this decision on the condition that FNS continue to seek other options to better ensure the integrity of retailers applying to participate in the program.”

“Although FNS compiles a ‘watch list’ of stores with suspicious transactions, we found that FNS did not have the information it needed to determine if stores on the list were violating requirements,” said Fong. “Further, the agency was not categorizing stores to maximize its ability to identify patterns of fraud. We recommended that FNS enhance the system to provide additional data, and develop plans to better compare stores. FNS agreed with our recommendations.” The food stamp program is the largest in the USDA both in terms of participants and budget, the latter which currently is $75 billion annually.

Source

See also:

Food Stamp Program Doesn’t Check SSNs of Some Recipients
March 8, 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture-administered food stamp program does not check the Social Security Number (SSNs) of some of its 46.3 million recipients, many of whom are using the numbers of dead people and invalid SSNs to get benefits potentially totaling $1.1 million a month, according to a government audit.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the USDA “also has been looking at recipients who misrepresent themselves to receive benefits,” testified USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today. “Recently, OIG has conducted a series of audits of 10 States to assess how they used participant databases to identify potentially fraudulent recipients, and we have completed work in 5 States.”

“Our analysis of the databases that States check as part of their role in ensuring recipient eligibility revealed that a total of 8,594 recipients in the 5 States were receiving potential improper payments,” said Fong. “Some of these recipients were using the Social Security numbers of deceased individuals, or otherwise invalid Social Security numbers, while others were receiving benefits in more than one State. In total, we estimate that these recipients could be receiving about $1.1 million a month.”

The USDA administers its food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), through its Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) division. “In our reports, we have recommended that FNS require State agencies to ensure they use a national database to perform death matches and Social Security number verifications, and that they perform checks to make sure information is entered correctly,” said Fong. “Generally, FNS has agreed with our recommendations and is taking corrective action.”

In a document entitled, “Highlights of Office of Inspector General (OIG) Plans for Fiscal Year 2012”, the IG states, “Match the Social Security Administration’s list of deceased individuals’ Social Security numbers and names to eligibility data in the Food and Nutrition Service’s (FNS) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to determine whether benefits are delivered appropriately.”

Source

 

[Unknown_Soldier]

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

How is foodstamp president racially charged? Im about sick of that bullshit

 

[rdean]

Education is for "snobs". I learn something from the right wing every day.

 

[The Rabbi]

The OP proves the contention that Obama is indeed the "Food Stamp President". How is it fair to add together HW Bush and W Bush? Why not Clinton and Bush? Even so, 2 presidents with 12 years in office added only slight more people to the food stamp roles than Obama in 3 years.
Yes, this proves it: Obama is the Food Stamp President. Unprecedented poverty in his term. Unprecedented unemployment. Unprecedented slow recovery. Unprecedented low workforce participation. Unprecendented downgrade of US debt.
He is the biggest failure as president since Aristide of Haiti.

 

[Cammmpbell]

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

The only reason Obama can be called "The Food Stamp President" is the total meltdown of the economy and the crooks on Wall St. which were left there by the Bush bunch. It ain't rocket science:

'Course George Bush had to avenge the assassination attempt on his father in 1993.

http://shawnrosvold.com/archives/1893

 

[uscitizen]

I recall back when Reagan was president and it cam out how many servicemen were on food stamps.

 

[The Rabbi]

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."

And after 3 years and a filibuster proof Congress Obama can't fix it? Is he incompetent?
The poor in this country suffer from obesity much more than hunger. Obama is helping that. He is the food stamp president.

 

[The Rabbi]

I recall back when Reagan was president and it cam out how many servicemen were on food stamps.

Reagan doubled military salaries overnight. Obama has cut the military.

 

[California Girl]

Education is for "snobs". I learn something from the right wing every day.

You are incapable of learning. Stop lying.

 

[uscitizen]

I recall back when Reagan was president and it cam out how many servicemen were on food stamps.

Reagan doubled military salaries overnight. Obama has cut the military.

Obama has cut the military?

link?

Reagan pretty much doubled the national debt.

 

[Sarah G]

Gingrich knows about food. Just look at him.

Maybe he should be on the Cooking channel instead of the nightly news...

He eats Reese's peanut butter cups for breakfast.

True story.

That explains the bloat..

 

[California Girl]

For the record, I think it's quite stupid to call Obama the 'Food Stamps President'.

 

[Cammmpbell]

For the record, I think it's quite stupid to call Obama the 'Food Stamps President'.

The guy who called him that was an admitted adulterer and signed divorce papers with a wife who had just had surgery the third time for her cancer. Go Figure

 

[Stephanie]

so now food stamps is "racially tinged"

Gingrich's insistence on repeating the racially-tinged charge has garnered significant outcry from minority and food assistance advocates,

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) took to the floor

we pay these Representatives for THIS CRAP.

 

[California Girl]

For the record, I think it's quite stupid to call Obama the 'Food Stamps President'.

The guy who called him that was an admitted adulterer and signed divorce papers with a wife who had just had surgery the third time for her cancer. Go Figure

I don't care about your supposed 'issues' with Gingrich. He's an ass. Big fucking deal.

 

[California Girl]

so now food stamps is "racially tinged"

Gingrich's insistence on repeating the racially-tinged charge has garnered significant outcry from minority and food assistance advocates,

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) took to the floor

we pay these Representatives for THIS CRAP.

Every criticism of Obama is 'racially charged'. The Dems have called 'wolf' too many times. They make themselves look ridiculous with that bullshit... however, it was a dumb thing to say... with the economy in such a fucking mess, it's no wonder we have so many people needing assistance. My issue with Obama is not the food stamps, it is that he has done so little to help business to fix the economy.