http://www.trivisonn...d-stamps-charts
The next chart shows the numerical totals for each president. Keep in mind that not all presidents were in office for the same number of years. President Obama’s total is for the first three years of his administration:
When China was admitted to the World Trade Organization in 2001, tariffs were lowered, and it became very profitable for American companies to relocate production to China’s sweatshops. Millions of American jobs were lost, and those former workers have piled up on the food-stamp rolls:
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http://frac.org/repo...icipation-data/
More than 46.6 Million Americans Participated in SNAP in June 2012
Caseload Growth Linked to Economic Hardship
SNAP national participation in June 2012 rose to 46,670,373 people, an increase of 173,162 people from May 2012, and 1,486,446 people higher than in June 2011. The number of people participating in SNAP in May 2012 was approximately 29.8 million more persons than in July 2000, when program participation nationally reached its lowest point in the prior decade (16.9 million individuals).
Unemployment and underemployment in most states and efforts to enroll more eligible needy people have contributed to SNAP caseload growth in recent years. More than one in seven Americans receives SNAP –
that percentage (15.1 percent)
is comparable to the percentage of the American workforce affected by unemployment or underemployment (14.9) percent according to US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics U-6 Measure).
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Despite recent SNAP caseload growth, gaps in participation remain.
Three in ten people eligible for SNAP go unserved.
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http://wtvr.com/2012...umbers-on-rise/
Record number of Americans using food stamps
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The overall number of food stamp use began to spike nationwide as the economy slumped in October 2008, with a 51 percent increase in benefits in a four-year period.
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Nationally, a record $71.81 billion was spent on food stamp benefits in fiscal year 2011, more than double the amount spent in 2008.
The data could become an election topic. The House Republican plan, sponsored by now Vice-Presidential nominee Paul Ryan, wants to turn Medicaid and the food stamp program into block grants by 2016.
Ryan said this would curtail growth in the program, with a decrease of $33 billion over 10 years.
“As the nation continues to recover from the worst economic crisis in our lifetime too many middle class families who have fallen on hard times are still struggling. That fact is reflected in these numbers,”
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said.
“Our goal is to get these families the temporary assistance they need so they are able to get through these tough times and back on their feet as soon as possible.”
Bloomberg news argued that the $210 billion spent on food stamps, unemployment insurance and welfare in fiscal year 2012 is small compared to other spending.
During the same period, the U.S. will spend $1.3 trillion on Social Security and Medicare, in addition to $700 billion on defense, argued Bloomberg.
