They worry about a culture of dependency, Republicans say. That if the government prevents people from starving, it provides a way out of work. But kids are allowed to be dependent. They're supposed to be dependent, even. And food stamps, along with several other social welfare programs, make it more likely that kids will grow up to be healthy and educated:
A recent study of what happened when food stamps (now called SNAP) gradually expanded nationwide in the 1960s and early 1970s found that disadvantaged children who had access to food stamps in early childhood and whose mothers had access during their pregnancy had better health and educational outcomes as adults than children who didn’t have access to food stamps.
This isn't the only way food stamps
lower health care costs, but again, we're talking about kids. We're supposed to care about kids, right? But we're talking about something that will literally stunt their growth and make it less likely they'll graduate from high school, and Republicans are not just willing but eager to do that, to incur those human costs and long-term costs to our economy, in order to save a relatively small amount on food assistance now. And too many Democrats are willing to compromise on that.
Sign and send our petition to your Democratic senator, telling them in no uncertain terms: No Farm Bill that cuts food stamps. Absolutely no cuts to food stamps at all. None.