Letters: Separating politics and hunger

Re “Playing politics with hunger,” Opinion, Sept. 16

I read former Sens. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and Tom Daschle’s (D-S.D.) Op-Ed article with great interest. This summer I traveled to Washington and met with a local member of Congress who expressed his determination to protect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, previously known as food stamps.

What disturbs me is that politicians are playing games with the 47 million Americans who rely on this program. Most SNAP participants are already working or can’t work for a variety of reasons (they’re children, disabled, caregivers and so on).

The irony of the House bill is that it would mandate drug testing for SNAP participants, a costly (not to mention degrading) requirement that shows Republicans aren’t truly too concerned with cost.

I hope the House Republicans take Dole and Daschle’s advice and vote to fully fund SNAP; it’s the American thing to do.

Holly Mosher

Venice

It’s heartening that a Republican and a Democrat can put politics aside to come together for an issue as important and essential as providing basic food and nutrition for those who are the most disadvantaged in our country.

I applaud Dole and Daschle for speaking out to protect children and the elderly from what, for some, will mean starvation in this land of abundance. It’s not only humane, it makes good economic sense when such a program generates $1.70 in commerce for every $1 it spends.

I strongly oppose the cuts to SNAP proposed in the House bill, and I hope all California representatives will vote against it.

Tina L. Cameron

Santa Monica

Seeing two former Senate majority leaders united to warn that funding for the food stamp program for poor families and their children is in danger of being cut by “misguided, detrimental partisan politics” is nostalgic and refreshing at the same time.

It is also depressing to realize that if Republican Dole were in Congress today, he would be summarily drummed out of the corps.

June Maguire

Mission Viejo

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