From the Huffington Post:
The Senate overwhelmingly rejected a bid to preserve some $4.5 billion in food stamps funding, as part of the massive farm bill, on Tuesday.
The amendment to keep that spending in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, offered by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), failed 33 to 66. Sixty votes were needed to pass.
Gillibrand had hoped to prevent food aid cuts in the $969 billion bill by trimming the guaranteed profit for crop insurance companies from 14 to 12 percent and by lowering payments for crop insurers from $1.3 billion to $825 million.
"Half of the food stamp beneficiaries are children, 17 percent are seniors, and unfortunately now 1.5 million households are veteran households that are receiving food stamps," Gillibrand said, referring not just to heat-and-eat participants, but the broader population of food stamp recipients."...Congress has grown increasingly concerned about spending for the food stamp program. Some 26 million Americans received the aid in 2007, while more than 44 million received it last year, at a cost of $76 billion. The Congressional Budget Office estimated recently that demand will continue to grow through 2014 in the wake of the recession..."
The House has proposed even steeper cuts. The 2013 budget resolution passed by the lower chamber calls for $134 billion in cuts over 10 years. The House Agriculture Committee's version of the farm bill would slash $33 billion over 10 years.
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Congress should not be concerned that the food stamp program cost $76 billion. It SHOULD be concerned that 44 MILLION Americans needed food stamps in 2007. That is just shy of one sixth of the U.S. population. The numbers are increasing.
Congress and Big Business, Big Agriculture, Big Pharma et. al. want to sacrifice the well-being of many for lining the pockets of the few.
Just look at WHO voted Nay in regards to providing food resources to people in need. Many of those Democrats are from poor states where unemployment is significant and low wage earners need food stamp support.
The United States is beginning its full-blown austerity program. As Paul Krugman stated on the Colbert Report: we are headed in the same direction as Ireland, especially if Romnibot becomes president.
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U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 112th Congress - 2nd Session
as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate
| Question: | |||
| Vote Number: | 135 | Vote Date: | June 19, 2012, 06:35 PM |
| Required For Majority: | 1/2 | Vote Result: | Amendment Rejected |
| Amendment Number: | S.Amdt. 2156 to S. 3240 (Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012) | ||
| Statement of Purpose: | To strike a reduction in the supplemental nutrition assistance program and increase funding for the fresh fruit and vegetable program, with an offset that limits crop insurance reimbursements to providers. | ||
| Vote Counts: | YEAs | 33 |
| NAYs | 66 | |
| Not Voting | 1 |
| Vote Summary | By Senator Name | By Vote Position | By Home State |
| Akaka (D-HI), Yea Alexander (R-TN), Nay Ayotte (R-NH), Nay Barrasso (R-WY), Nay Baucus (D-MT), Nay Begich (D-AK), Yea Bennet (D-CO), Nay Bingaman (D-NM), Nay Blumenthal (D-CT), Yea Blunt (R-MO), Nay Boozman (R-AR), Nay Boxer (D-CA), Yea Brown (D-OH), Yea Brown (R-MA), Yea Burr (R-NC), Nay Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Cardin (D-MD), Yea Carper (D-DE), Nay Casey (D-PA), Yea Chambliss (R-GA), Nay Coats (R-IN), Nay Coburn (R-OK), Nay Cochran (R-MS), Nay Collins (R-ME), Nay Conrad (D-ND), Nay Coons (D-DE), Yea Corker (R-TN), Nay Cornyn (R-TX), Nay Crapo (R-ID), Nay DeMint (R-SC), Nay Durbin (D-IL), Nay Enzi (R-WY), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Yea Franken (D-MN), Nay | Gillibrand (D-NY), Yea Graham (R-SC), Nay Grassley (R-IA), Nay Hagan (D-NC), Nay Harkin (D-IA), Nay Hatch (R-UT), Nay Heller (R-NV), Yea Hoeven (R-ND), Nay Hutchison (R-TX), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Nay Isakson (R-GA), Nay Johanns (R-NE), Nay Johnson (D-SD), Nay Johnson (R-WI), Nay Kerry (D-MA), Yea Kirk (R-IL), Not Voting Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay Kohl (D-WI), Nay Kyl (R-AZ), Nay Landrieu (D-LA), Nay Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Yea Lee (R-UT), Nay Levin (D-MI), Yea Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Nay Manchin (D-WV), Nay McCain (R-AZ), Nay McCaskill (D-MO), Nay McConnell (R-KY), Nay Menendez (D-NJ), Yea Merkley (D-OR), Yea Mikulski (D-MD), Yea | Moran (R-KS), Nay Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Murray (D-WA), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Nay Nelson (D-NE), Nay Paul (R-KY), Nay Portman (R-OH), Nay Pryor (D-AR), Nay Reed (D-RI), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea Risch (R-ID), Nay Roberts (R-KS), Nay Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Rubio (R-FL), Nay Sanders (I-VT), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shaheen (D-NH), Yea Shelby (R-AL), Nay Snowe (R-ME), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Nay Tester (D-MT), Nay Thune (R-SD), Nay Toomey (R-PA), Nay Udall (D-CO), Nay Udall (D-NM), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Nay Warner (D-VA), Nay Webb (D-VA), Nay Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea Wicker (R-MS), Nay Wyden (D-OR), Yea |
| Vote Summary | By Senator Name | By Vote Position | By Home State |
| YEAs ---33 | ||
| Akaka (D-HI) Begich (D-AK) Blumenthal (D-CT) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Brown (R-MA) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Casey (D-PA) Coons (D-DE) Feinstein (D-CA) | Gillibrand (D-NY) Heller (R-NV) Kerry (D-MA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (ID-CT) Menendez (D-NJ) Merkley (D-OR) Mikulski (D-MD) Murkowski (R-AK) | Murray (D-WA) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Shaheen (D-NH) Snowe (R-ME) Udall (D-NM) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR) |
| NAYs ---66 | ||
| Alexander (R-TN) Ayotte (R-NH) Barrasso (R-WY) Baucus (D-MT) Bennet (D-CO) Bingaman (D-NM) Blunt (R-MO) Boozman (R-AR) Burr (R-NC) Carper (D-DE) Chambliss (R-GA) Coats (R-IN) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Durbin (D-IL) Enzi (R-WY) | Franken (D-MN) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Hagan (D-NC) Harkin (D-IA) Hatch (R-UT) Hoeven (R-ND) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Inouye (D-HI) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE) Johnson (D-SD) Johnson (R-WI) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Kyl (R-AZ) Landrieu (D-LA) Lee (R-UT) Lugar (R-IN) Manchin (D-WV) McCain (R-AZ) | McCaskill (D-MO) McConnell (R-KY) Moran (R-KS) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Paul (R-KY) Portman (R-OH) Pryor (D-AR) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Rubio (R-FL) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT) Thune (R-SD) Toomey (R-PA) Udall (D-CO) Vitter (R-LA) Warner (D-VA) Webb (D-VA) Wicker (R-MS) |
| Not Voting - 1 | ||
| Kirk (R-IL) | ||
| Vote Summary | By Senator Name | By Vote Position | By Home State |
| Alabama: | Sessions (R-AL), Nay | Shelby (R-AL), Nay |
| Alaska: | Begich (D-AK), Yea | Murkowski (R-AK), Yea |
| Arizona: | Kyl (R-AZ), Nay | McCain (R-AZ), Nay |
| Arkansas: | Boozman (R-AR), Nay | Pryor (D-AR), Nay |
| California: | Boxer (D-CA), Yea | Feinstein (D-CA), Yea |
| Colorado: | Bennet (D-CO), Nay | Udall (D-CO), Nay |
| Connecticut: | Blumenthal (D-CT), Yea | Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea |
| Delaware: | Carper (D-DE), Nay | Coons (D-DE), Yea |
| Florida: | Nelson (D-FL), Nay | Rubio (R-FL), Nay |
| Georgia: | Chambliss (R-GA), Nay | Isakson (R-GA), Nay |
| Hawaii: | Akaka (D-HI), Yea | Inouye (D-HI), Nay |
| Idaho: | Crapo (R-ID), Nay | Risch (R-ID), Nay |
| Illinois: | Durbin (D-IL), Nay | Kirk (R-IL), Not Voting |
| Indiana: | Coats (R-IN), Nay | Lugar (R-IN), Nay |
| Iowa: | Grassley (R-IA), Nay | Harkin (D-IA), Nay |
| Kansas: | Moran (R-KS), Nay | Roberts (R-KS), Nay |
| Kentucky: | McConnell (R-KY), Nay | Paul (R-KY), Nay |
| Louisiana: | Landrieu (D-LA), Nay | Vitter (R-LA), Nay |
| Maine: | Collins (R-ME), Nay | Snowe (R-ME), Yea |
| Maryland: | Cardin (D-MD), Yea | Mikulski (D-MD), Yea |
| Massachusetts: | Brown (R-MA), Yea | Kerry (D-MA), Yea |
| Michigan: | Levin (D-MI), Yea | Stabenow (D-MI), Nay |
| Minnesota: | Franken (D-MN), Nay | Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay |
| Mississippi: | Cochran (R-MS), Nay | Wicker (R-MS), Nay |
| Missouri: | Blunt (R-MO), Nay | McCaskill (D-MO), Nay |
| Montana: | Baucus (D-MT), Nay | Tester (D-MT), Nay |
| Nebraska: | Johanns (R-NE), Nay | Nelson (D-NE), Nay |
| Nevada: | Heller (R-NV), Yea | Reid (D-NV), Yea |
| New Hampshire: | Ayotte (R-NH), Nay | Shaheen (D-NH), Yea |
| New Jersey: | Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea | Menendez (D-NJ), Yea |
| New Mexico: | Bingaman (D-NM), Nay | Udall (D-NM), Yea |
| New York: | Gillibrand (D-NY), Yea | Schumer (D-NY), Yea |
| North Carolina: | Burr (R-NC), Nay | Hagan (D-NC), Nay |
| North Dakota: | Conrad (D-ND), Nay | Hoeven (R-ND), Nay |
| Ohio: | Brown (D-OH), Yea | Portman (R-OH), Nay |
| Oklahoma: | Coburn (R-OK), Nay | Inhofe (R-OK), Nay |
| Oregon: | Merkley (D-OR), Yea | Wyden (D-OR), Yea |
| Pennsylvania: | Casey (D-PA), Yea | Toomey (R-PA), Nay |
| Rhode Island: | Reed (D-RI), Yea | Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea |
| South Carolina: | DeMint (R-SC), Nay | Graham (R-SC), Nay |
| South Dakota: | Johnson (D-SD), Nay | Thune (R-SD), Nay |
| Tennessee: | Alexander (R-TN), Nay | Corker (R-TN), Nay |
| Texas: | Cornyn (R-TX), Nay | Hutchison (R-TX), Nay |
| Utah: | Hatch (R-UT), Nay | Lee (R-UT), Nay |
| Vermont: | Leahy (D-VT), Yea | Sanders (I-VT), Yea |
| Virginia: | Warner (D-VA), Nay | Webb (D-VA), Nay |
| Washington: | Cantwell (D-WA), Yea | Murray (D-WA), Yea |
| West Virginia: | Manchin (D-WV), Nay | Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea |
| Wisconsin: | Johnson (R-WI), Nay | Kohl (D-WI), Nay |
| Wyoming: | Barrasso (R-WY), Nay | Enzi (R-WY), Nay |
| Vote Summary | By Senator Name | By Vote Position | By Home State |
