WASHINGTON - May 26, 2010 - The U.S. is now spending more on food assistance than at any time in its history, sparking a debate over whether the roughly 40 million people now receiving the latest version of food stamps at a cost of $73 billion a year are a symptom of a weak economy or are part of a long-term expansion in welfare and related programs.
Food stamp supporters say the record-high spending is simply a reflection of the economic downturn over the last two years.
"The program is expanding because we are realizing a significant downturn in the economy," said Ambassador Eric Bost, who ran the food stamps program in the first years under President George W. Bush. "The food stamp or the SNAP program, as it's referred to now, responds to the changing economic conditions of the country."
"Unemployment is the worst it's been in over 30 years," added Sheila Zedlewski, an expert on poverty policy at the left-leaning Urban Institute. "The poverty rate is rising. Some people project it will be 15%. That would be the highest it has been since the 1960's."
But critics say this and other welfare programs were growing long before the Depression and that food stamp usage has exploded over the last decade.
"The number of food stamp recipients has more than doubled since 2000, and the cost of the program has more than tripled," said Chris Edwards, an expert on federal and state tax issues at the libertarian Cato Institute.
