PETALING JAYA: The Republican-led House of of Representatives has cut US$40bil (RM128bil) off the country’s food stamp budget that put 3.8 million poor American children and the elderly at risk of going hungry next year.
Organisation For Action’s Director of Special Projects Nico Probst said if funding was not restored, millions of Americans would be booted out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“Many will lose the security of knowing how they’ll feed their family,” he said in an e-mail message sent to supporters of OFA, a grassroot organisation mooted by Obama from the Democrat party.
OFA had initiated an online campaign to put pressure on Speaker John Boehner and House leaders to restore funding for the food stamp programme.
“Thanksgiving is a powerful reminder of just how cruel these budget cuts are to families in need. Now is a great time to speak out,” said Probst.
He pointed out that half of the SNAP recipients were children, while the rest comprised veterans, the elderly and the working poor.
Moody Analytics had found that such nutrition assistance programmes was one of the most effective forms of stimulus, as the funds would go right back into the economy, Probst said.
“We’ve got to stand up for the millions of Americans who stand to lose access to this vital programme,” added Probst.
He said last year, 49 million Americans struggled with hunger, and many had relied on SNAP for healthy meals.
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