Its a no-brainer to question the support of U.S. Senate for a farm bill that will hurt Americians and not stop subsidies to farmers.

With this country mired in debt and agriculture subsidies at record high, the Farm bill being supported in the Senate will provide $5 billion a year directly to farmers in good times or bad.

In addition, this bill does not require, encourage or help assist farmers with the development of crop insurance plans, so that the U.S. government does not foot the bill for insufficient yields or falling prices. It will pay farmers regardless if crops are grown or not on marginal lands that may not produce.

But hidden in the bill is budget cuts to the SNAP program (food stamps). The bill will cut $4.5 billion over 10 years. This will hurt millions of Americans, but which ones.

U.S. Department of Agriculture provided the following 2010 statistics: Forty-nine percent of all participants in the food stamp program are children, 20 percent are non-elderly disabled, 15 percent are senior citizens over age 60. The average monthly gross family income on food stamps is $731, the average net gross is $336 monthly to live on. It will also cut the WIC programs that help with nutrition for young infants. Also cut is the Employment and Career Path training program.

Can’t wait to see what the House of Representatives’ farm bill does to poor families, children, disabled and seniors. I wonder who can afford to go with one less meal a day.

Rick Page