Dan Coats: “I rise today to speak briefly on an amendment I have already submitted in the budget bill, but which also qualifies as a…”

“I rise today to speak briefly on an amendment I have already submitted in the budget bill, but which also qualifies as a ``Waste of the Week.'' So I am going to do a two-for here. As I have said previously, I am coming to the floor every week to point out a waste of funds that, if eliminated and addressed, can save the taxpayer a lot of money. We have the thermometer growing in terms of the amount of money we have been able to offer--in terms of programs that simply are not working, can be reformed or changed or dropped, and save the taxpayer a lot of dollars. This week's waste addresses a well-intentioned Federal program that has moved away from its original intention of addressing an important social need. Officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, this program is more commonly known to the American public as food stamps. This program started under President Kennedy in the early 1960s as a temporary lifeline to those in need. Over time, the program grew. More than 30 years later, the Republican Congress, with a Democratic President--President Clinton--reformed welfare in 1996. During that reform, they made reforms to the SNAP program, or the food stamp program by adding some qualifying information. These reforms required that in order to qualify for food stamps, able-bodied adults had to register for work and accept a job if it was offered to them or go to a training program in order to qualify for food stamps.…”