Jackie
Speier Protests Food Stamp Cuts
With Steak, Vodka, Caviar
By FBWorld Team
The
House of Representatives voted
to slash nearly $40 billion in food stamp aid
Thursday. Though members advocating for the aid program
ultimately lost, it wasn't for lack of trying.
In
a five-minute plea against the cuts, Rep. Jackie Speier
(D-Calif.) used a steak, a bottle of vodka and a jar of
caviar as props to highlight what she said was hypocritical
spending in Congress.
Some
members of Congress voting to cut food stamps "travel
to foreign countries under the guise of official business,"
she said. "They dine at lavish restaurants eating
steak, vodka and even caviar," she continued, lifting
each item. "They receive money to do this. That's
right, they don't pay out of pocket for these meals."
Speier
then outlined examples of what she said was lavish House
spending, including one congressman's tab for $3,558 for
food and lodging during a six-day trip to Russia.
"That
particular member has 21,000 food stamp recipients in
his district," Speier said. "One of those people
who is on food stamps could live a year on what this congressman
spent on food and lodging for six days."
Speier
also spotlighted a recent trip to Dublin, Ireland, by
20 members of Congress, who received $166 per day for
individual meals. "Yet for them, the idea of helping
fellow Americans spend less than $5 a day makes their
skin crawl," she said.
Proponents
of the bill that would cut food stamps argued that spending
$80 billion a year for the food stamp program is out of
control, and that some Americans, like a California surfer
profiled by Fox News, were sponging off of the system.
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By
Robin Wilkey
Courtesy of Huffington Post
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