http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051501957.html Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) stood before the refrigerated section of the Safeway on Capitol Hill yesterday and looked longingly at the eggs. At $1.29 for a half-dozen, he couldn't afford them. A pork chop and a bag of peanuts proved too tempting for Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), one of four members of Congress who has struggled for the past week to subsist on $21 worth of food -- the equivalent of benefits received by the average food stamp recipient. Ryan and three other members of Congress have pledged to live for one week on $21 worth of food, the amount the average food stamp recipient receives in federal assistance. That's $3 a day or $1 a meal. They started yesterday. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), co-chairmen of the House Hunger Caucus, called on lawmakers to take the "Food Stamp Challenge" to raise awareness of hunger and what they say are inadequate benefits for food stamp recipients. Only two others, Ryan and Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.), took them up on it. "All of us in Congress live pretty good lives," said McGovern, who ate a single banana for breakfast yesterday and was going through caffeine withdrawal by midday. "We don't have to wake up worrying about the next meal. But there are a lot of Americans who do. I think it's wrong. I think it's immoral that in the U.S., the richest country in the world, people are hungry." McGovern and Emerson have introduced legislation that would add $4 billion to the annual federal food stamp budget, which was $33 billion last year and covered 26 million Americans. The proposal could be incorporated by Congress into the new farm bill. "We're trying to get this debate going," McGovern said. "There are more working people today getting food stamps than six years ago. . . . There's not a member of Congress that doesn't have hunger in their district." According to the rules of the challenge, the four House members cannot eat anything beside their $21 worth of groceries. That means no food at the many receptions, dinners and fundraisers that fill a lawmaker's week. At yesterday's weekly lunch meeting of the House Democratic Caucus, McGovern was mesmerized by an attractive roast beef sandwich with cheese. He noted the potato chips came in two flavors: sour cream and plain. But his own lunch consisted of some lentils he cooked for himself and brought to work in a plastic container. This morning McGovern is hosting a fundraising breakfast for his reelection at Bistro Bis, the restaurant in the Hotel George. The catering charge is $20 per person for the breakfast -- nearly McGovern's entire food budget for this week -- but he won't be eating any of it. And tonight he is to attend a fundraising dinner for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) thrown at the Georgetown mansion of oil heir Smith Bagley. "I guess I'll just drink tap water," McGovern said. McGovern and his wife, Lisa, did their food shopping for the week with help from Toinette Wilson, a D.C. resident and mother of three who relies on food stamps. Wilson gave him some tips, but it was still a struggle, he said. "No organic foods, no fresh vegetables, we were looking for the cheapest of everything," McGovern said. "We got spaghetti and hamburger meat that was high in fat -- the fattiest meat on the shelf. I have high cholesterol and always try to get the leanest, but it's expensive. It's almost impossible to make healthy choices on a food stamp diet." The McGoverns have exempted their two children, ages 5 and 9, from the challenge. "I'm lucky when they eat anything," McGovern said. At the Safeway, Ryan seemed to grow depressed as he realized the limits of his budget. "It's unbelievable," he said, filling his small grocery basket with peanut butter, jelly and bread. He bought a big bag of cornmeal that he says he'll try to fashion into grits for breakfast and polenta for dinner. And he grabbed some canned tomato sauce and pasta on sale. No money for meat, milk, juice, fresh fruit or vegetables, save for a single head of 32-cent garlic to flavor the tomato sauce. "I don't know if this is going to make it," said the third-term Democrat, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds. "By the end of the week, I'm going to be eating cornmeal and strawberry preserves." Both lawmakers will keep blogs about the experience, McGovern at http://foodstampchallenge.typepad.com and Ryan at http://timryan.house.gov.
i think its awseome that they are trying to be in the shoes of americas poor..there doing more than others who preach of feeding the poor..but put iin more calories into their mouths in one meal than most do in a week..
Indeed go downtown and higher status people will feel bad for you. 5-10-20$ right there. Though I'm happy their investigating this shit. Alot of things in this country need to be fixed.
I do see the value in this. But I also see the waste that will come out of this. First look at how many people are on the assistance program that shouldn't be- people who have been on it for too many years, people who have current law issues, and people who are flat out cheating the system. So we will change the system so the people who actually need the assistance can get the proper money they deserve. Meanwhile the other people who should not be getting the assistance to begin with get more also. But like I said I know there is some value in the Congressmen participating in this. Just wish they would clean it up before just giving out more money.
If they were members on this forum, I'd +rep them. I think everyone in Congress should have to do this, and I think those that do not, should not be re-elected. My two cents of course.
my mother and i used to be on food stamps but i dont remember it to well do to sever depression during that time. What i came out of the experience with is don't take your lifestyle for granted.
I didn't think they even made food stamps anymore. When we had to use it two years ago we got a card that we used like a credit card, but it would only work for food.
Why dont we cause another WAR and then after spending millions of dollars blowin people up (to accomplish nothing cause out Gas is STILL expensive...lol) then send BILLIONS of dollars to them to help them rebuild....(All the while we have our own problems that are NOT being addressed) I call it Regulation of Population...if you ignore the hungry people and deny them medical and shelter they will just go off n die somewhere and the problem is solved. Make sure to keep the rich WHITE republican in the nice mansion on the hill with a full fridge while the liberal whites an blacks and other minoritys struggle to survive....You are either born with it or you arent so go ahead and ignore the problem til it becomes YOUR problem or YOUR kids n family hungry and needing health care.....Oh yea and if you need education to better yourself then we are sorry but we have to send the kid form another country to school and we are sorry we couldnt give ou a grant or scholarship.
Iraq has cost us $435Billion and our food stamp budget is $33 billion. Anyone else see an issue with that?
LOL, why would a politician do that? To make himself look better. Fuck congress. This isnt democracy. Its so much cheaper to make your own food. BTW I bet they've never eaten ramen before. You can find cases of 12 for $1.50. Thats 12 meals for $1.50.
Democracy means rule by the people. When you have individuals in control of the people, that is not democracy. Switzerland has democracy. America has a dumbass dictator and 255 rich people who are trying to get richer. When you put individuals in places of power (especially rich individuals who have known power their whole lives), they will seek more power. They will lie and cheat to get more power. And they do lie and cheat.