Food Stamps Cuts: Michelle Obama Spends The SNAP Money On Healthy School Lunches

Food stamp cuts are on everyone’s mind, and we’re all trying not to think about how Michelle Obama’s Child Nutrtion Act has had something to do with it.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the food stamp cuts have been a source of much debate recently.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known more commonly as “food stamps” is on the cutting block, with the cuts taking effect today.

In 2010, President Obama openly admitted he would have to take funding out of SNAP to roll out the new Child Nutrition Act, sponsored by Michelle Obama, and even commented on the bills popularity:

“Some of the funding comes from rolling back temporary increase in food stamp benefits or SNAP as it’s now called, starting in the fall of 2013. I know a number of members of Congress have expressed concerns of this offset, being included in the bill and I’m committed to working with them to restore these funds in the future.”

It was a move that lost him quite a bit of Democratic support, with many including Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-CT, calling the president out:

“I did not want to do that. These were bad choices to make.”

Obama promised negotiation for more funding with Congress for SNAP, which now seems more than a little unlikely. As the food stamp cuts take effect, many are unhappy with the president’s decision. Some question the partiality of the president signing a bill that would cut $40 billion from the SNAP program, in exchange for giving a little under $10 billion to the Child Nutrition Act.

Though passed in 2009, the food stamp cuts weren’t going to take place until today. Because of Michelle Obama’s Child Nutrition Act, funding that might have gone to bolster already low SNAP benefits, will instead be going to the Child Nutrition programs.

Michelle Obama openly supported the bill’s passage, despite the fact she must have realized that money would in effect be coming from the SNAP program, resulting in a massive and wide spread food stamp cut. The First Lady’s focus on lowering childhood obesity, while admirable, unfortunately also in this case exacerbates the nationwide problems of food insecurity for millions of Americans, and the outright hunger and poverty issues that the SNAP problem has tried to help.

The guidelines and mandates in the bill are all sound, but the bill also includes funding for the establishment of school gardens and purchasing local foods and limiting soda and junk food machines in schools. While this is all wonderful, it unfortunately comes at the average cost of food stamp cuts of $1.40 per person, per meal. This might not sound like much if you’re not already food insecure, but for those already struggling to feed themselves, and many supplementing their SNAP benefits at local food banks and bread lines, it’s devastating. All in all, the food stamp cuts total $40 billion over the next decade.

So what do you think of the food stamp cuts funding being shrunk partially due to Michelle Obama’s Healthy School Lunch program?