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Will the House Cut SNAP Funding for Military?

by Katherine Johnson

As the House considered $2 billion worth of cuts to food stamp programs last week, new information has come out that may put the House G.O.P. between a rock and a hard place.

Military families are projected to redeem $100 million worth of food stamps themselves this year. Families that are eligible to shop at base commissaries, including veterans, active and retired service members and anyone with a military I.D., have already used $53 million in food stamps from October through March. Will this info change the tune of House Republicans?

The most recent numbers from 2011 show 5,000 food stamp recipients are active military. Overall, 44 million Americans receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance. Cuts to SNAP would leave two million without access to food stamps.

To draw attention to and protest the proposed cuts, House Democrats took the SNAP challenge, of living off $4.50 worth of food per day for one week. The House is expected to begin voting on farm bill amendments today.