The latest Trump outrage of the hour is cutting 700,000 people from the federal food-stamp program by strictly enforcing federal work requirements.
In the meantime multiple billions of dollars are going to farmers, but mostly really to corporations that are growing commodity crops, to purportedly assist with harm from the trade tariffs. According the Senator Debbie Stabenow, most of this farm aid is not even helping farmers in the Midwest who were hurt the most by the tariffs.
Hundreds of Thousands Are Losing Access to Food Stamps https://nyti.ms/2DJmKyq"The department has also proposed a rule that would close what it calls a loophole that allows people with incomes up to 200 percent of the poverty level — about $50,000 for a family of four — to receive food stamps. The rule would also prevent households with more than $2,250 in assets, or $3,500 for a household with a disabled adult, from receiving food stamps. Those changes would strip nearly three million people of their benefits, the department said, and nearly one million children would lose automatic eligibility for free or reduced-price school meals."
"Without a waiver, able-bodied adults without children must work or participate in a work program for 20 hours or more a week to qualify for food stamps. That requirement can be difficult for people who are already homeless or have transportation issues, some poverty experts said, especially for low-wage workers who often are not offered 20 hours a week of steady work.
The rule also prevents states from defining what constitutes an “area” of economic distress. Instead, states must rely on waivers for labor market areas defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Anti-poverty experts say this will most likely make it difficult for cities surrounded by affluent counties, such as Detroit, to receive the waiver."