Thread: Food stamp cuts would hurt 4,000 in El Paso

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Food stamp cuts would hurt 4,000 in El Paso

Brandi Grissom
Austin Bureau
Wednesday, December 14, 2005

AUSTIN -- Texas would be the hardest hit by proposed federal cuts to the Food Stamp Program, with at least 76,000 people, including 11,000 undocumented immigrants, losing benefits, according to a report released Tuesday.

"The House-passed budget would be devastating for hardworking Texans struggling to feed their families," said Celia Hagert, senior policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities, which produced the budget-cut analysis.

If the cuts are approved and spread evenly across Texas, more than 4,000 El Pasoans could lose food-stamp benefits, she said.

Facing a growing federal budget deficit and mounting bills for the war in Iraq and hurricane recovery efforts, Congress is trying to cut spending while maintaining tax cuts. Last month, the U.S. House approved cutting $50 billion from the federal budget by 2010, including $796 million for food stamps. Nationwide, about 235,000 people, including 70,000 documented immigrants, would lose the benefit.

The Senate budget bill trims the budget by about $35 billion and does not include the food- stamp cuts. A conference committee of House and Senate members will work out a compromise version of the bill.

Food-stamp reductions in the House bill would come through tightened eligibility standards. Now, low-income Texas families can own a car, have some savings and still qualify for food stamps. The House bill would disallow that.

It would also raise the residency requirement for documented immigrants to receive food stamps to seven years from five.

About 5 percent, or 163,011, of Texas' 2.8 million food- stamp recipients live in El Paso, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. More than 19,000 of those recipients are documented immigrants, Hagart said.

Estimates, using across-the-board cuts, would mean that about 4,100 El Pasoans would lose food stamps under the House plan, including almost 2,000 documented immigrants.

U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, said he voted against the cuts and would continue to oppose the budget plan.

"Rather than enacting Draconian cuts ... that hurt those who need help most, Congress needs to help these families achieve self-sufficiency in the long-term," he said.

Ruben Garcia, director of Annunciation House, said most documented immigrants turn to food stamps and other social welfare programs because even working multiple minimum-wage jobs, they cannot make ends meet.

"To extend the waiting period for immigrants is very discriminatory," he said.

Lewie Garcia, assistant manager of El Paso County's nutrition program, which provides one free hot meal a day to needy senior citizens, said he estimated about 70 percent of his clients receive food stamps.

Cutting that benefit, he said, would likely further burden the already struggling program.

"It'll affect the health of the people mentally and physically," he said. "(Then) what are they going to do?"

Brandi Grissom may be reached at bgrissom@elpasotimes.com; (512) 479-6606.

"It'll affect the health of the people mentally and physically," he said. "(Then) what are they going to do?"

I'm really sorry for the Americans whose food stamps are being taken away from them. It is because of all the immigrants on the program that has increased the total cost beyond our means.

No immigrant should be eligible for assistance. They are supposed to be here on work visas. If they are not getting enough "work visa money" to live independently, then they need to go back to their country of
origin and develop a new plan under the concept of "My Government and Me." I'm sure for example a Harvard Graduate like Vicente Fox would understand that!?!?!? Or did someone "give" him that degree?

If I were Harvard, I'd revoke it.

Benefits should only be available to American Citizens.

I thought legal immigrants had to have sponsors here to help them out if they needed it. Time for some of these sponsors to step up to the plate.

No mention of how many to be cut are "anchors" but I hope that's the majority.

Sponsors??? First I heard of this. Hey, sponsors do need to step the plate. How do we find out about sponsors? Lets bill them for everything.

I don't know but I talked with someone (resident alien) a few months back who said her sister was trying to come to the US. She has "sponsors", friends, relatives I assume, who've provided sworn statements they are willing to help her if she needs help after she gets here. It could be years before sister gets to come, if ever, because of the federal quota for the country she's from. Too many people from that country here already.