Philip Klein, Senior Editorial Writer
The Washington Examiner
Obama administration officials have insisted that their decision to grant states waivers to redefine work requirements for welfare recipients would not “gut” the landmark 1996 welfare reform law. But a new report from the Congressional Research Service obtained by the Washington Examiner suggests that the administration’s suspension of a separate welfare work requirement has already helped explode the number of able-bodied Americans on food stamps. See chart below.
In addition to the broader work requirement that has become a contentious issue in the presidential race, the 1996 welfare reform law included a separate rule encouraging able-bodied adults without dependents to work by limiting the amount of time they could receive food stamps. President Obama suspended that rule when he signed his economic stimulus legislation into law, and the number of these adults on food stamps doubled, from 1.9 million in 2008 to 3.9 million in 2010, according to the CRS report, issued in the form of a memo to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va.
“This report once again confirms that President Obama has severely gutted the welfare work requirements that Americans have overwhelmingly supported since President Clinton signed them into law,” Cantor said in an emailed statement.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — More than one in seven Americans are on food stamps, but the federal government wants even more people to sign up for the safety net program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been running radio ads for the past four months encouraging those eligible to enroll. The campaign is targeted at the elderly, working poor, the unemployed and Hispanics.
Obama, you sneaky little devil you, buying a lifetime of votes for the Democratic Party by getting individuals hooked on government handouts. This is Poverty Pimp 101.
It’s unconscionable for the government to encourage people to sponge off them. And how in the world people are good with that is beyond me.
Hey Mike! I hope you’re doing okay. How’s the weather in Houston? It’s getting better here in Ft. Worth. I was listening to some talk show last nite and a caller was commenting on the fact that so many people get food stamps and then the tax payers have to feed those same kids in schools now. Ridiculous!
Wheather is A-OK, might even do a bike ride. But yes we are paying for those double-dippers, hell some are triple and quardruple dipping! Double -dippers dipping in our pockets is bothers the hell out of me. Will be up your way for conference, hope weather stay good.