There's a new category in the Hardhearted Hypocrite Republican Hall of Fame. Joining, among many other categories, those who voted against the stimulus, then bragged about the stimulus funding that came into their districts; those who oppose disaster relief until a disaster hits their own state; and those who've screamed outrage over Democrats engaging in procedural tactics that are just fine when done by Republicans: Republicans who get big farm subsidies but voted to slash food stamps in the current farm bill. There are 14 Republicans who have gotten a combined
$7.2 million in farm subsidies since 2004, but voted to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to the bone; only one of the 14 then voted against the version of the bill that removed SNAP entirely.
“It’s outrageous that some members of Congress feel it is OK to vote for their own taxpayer subsidies but against critical nutrition assistance for 47 million Americans,” [Democratic Rep. George] Miller said. “It’s bad enough that the House of Representatives didn’t pass a farm bill that included authorization for sorely needed nutrition programs, but to see members of Congress approving their own benefits at the expense of the working poor is a new low, even for this Congress.”
The most outstanding hypocrite hitting the lowest low, of course, is Tennessee Rep. Stephen Fincher, who's gotten $3.5 million in subsidies over the years, but is on a
pseudo-biblical crusade against SNAP—a program 22 percent of the people in his home county rely on. But he has company in his "farm bill money for me but not for thee" voting record, including California's Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who's gotten $1.7 million in farm subsidies.
Both Fincher and LaMalfa's offices insist we should ignore their assiduous use of farm subsidies and focus on their totally heartfelt votes to eliminate such subsidies. Yeah, right, guys.