In a FOX News interview on Monday, Rep. Allen West (R-FL) defended former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s contention that President Barack Obama is the best “food stamp president” America has ever seen, a charge that some Democrats have argued is laced with racial undertones.
There is no race code. It’s a fact. Since President Obama has been in the Oval Office, you’ve seen a 41 percent increase in the food stamp recipients in the United States of America. We have a president that’s making more American victims rather than victors.
Rep. West also pointed out that Mr. Obama’s failed economic policies have driven many more Americans into poverty:
We also have a 16 percent increase in Americans on the poverty roll — 6.4 million more Americans are on poverty since President Obama took office.
The Florida congressman’s comments come as Republican efforts led by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) are underway to increase oversight of the food stamp program (officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program–or SNAP) amid concerns that there may be what the Wall Street Journal has dubbed a “food stamp crime wave” emerging in the United States.
Indeed, under Mr. Obama, the number of Americans now on food stamps has jumped two-thirds since Mr. Obama was elected. That means one out of every seven people in the United States now receive taxpayer-funded food stamps.
Rep. West added that he believes the Republican presidential candidates must articulate their commitment to protecting taxpayers from wasteful spending.
They’ve got to understand that the message has to be about how they’re going to defend hard-working American taxpayers and families.
In 2012, taxpayers will spend a projected $89 billion on the program. Today, a record 46 million Americans now receive food stamp. Indeed, since welfare’s creation, taxpayers have spent a staggering $16 trillion-more than the equivalent of America’s entire national debt-on public-assistance programs.
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