Politics & Government
Rep. Jackie Speier Hoists Vodka and Caviar in Congress to Drive Home Message About Food Stamps
Jackie Speier's props meant to point out the inequity in members of Congress traveling with generous food allowances while voting against food stamp programs that give Americans just a few dollars a day to eat.
Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, created a stir in Congress Thursday hoisting a bottle of vodka, a jar of caviar and what looked to be meat on a plate to drive home her message that congressional reps who get lavish travel budgets for meals should be more sympathetic with Americans on food stamps eating for a few dollars a day.
Speier pointed to Panera CEO Ron Schaich, who is in the midst of a week-long effort to eat on $4.50 a day and notes that he is constantly hungry.
She participated in the Food Stamp Challenge herself in 2011.
“It is shameful that Congress would even consider cutting off funding that helps the 15 percent of Americans living in poverty, that’s a family of four living on $24,000 a year," she said in a press release about the issue released last month.
Do you support government food stamp programs? Are there better solutions? Could you eat on just $4.50 a day? Tell us in the comments.
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