80% Of Trillion Dollar 'Farm Bill' Spent On Food Stamps, Not Farmers, Senator Say

CNS News ^ | 7/20/12 | David James

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80% Of Trillion Dollar 'Farm Bill' Spent On Food Stamps, Not Farmers, Senator Says By David James July 20, 2012 Subscribe to David James's posts

Last night, radio host Mark Levin interviewed Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) about the recent U.S. Department of Agriculture agreement with the government of Mexico to “help educate eligible Mexican nationals living in the United States about available nutrition assistance,” which includes the US food stamp program.

Sen. Sessions explained that the funding for this program came from a “farm bill” in 2002, which allocated $800 billion over 10 years for the entire US food stamp program – meaning that 80 percent of this trillion dollar “farm bill” program is spend on food stamps, leaving only 20 percent to go to farmers.

Sessions also noted that the requirement, which allowed only US citizens to acquire food stamps, was eliminated in 2002, under President George Bush:

Levin: “Senator Jeff Sessions, Alabama, I have a question. I don’t mean to put you on the spot, I honestly don’t know. I mean, are- what is a Mexican national? And why are they eligible for food stamps when they come into this country?”

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Farming without subsidies? Some lessons from New Zealand
http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/features/0303/newzealand_subsidies.shtml

Output and net incomes for the New Zealand dairy industry are higher now than before subsidies ended—and the cost of milk production is among the lowest in the world.

“Life After Subsidies”
http://www.fedfarm.org.nz/f1051,130378/130378_Life_after_subsidies_-_the_New_Zealand_experience.pdf