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Report: 1-in-7 Americans now qualify for food stamps

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    Expenditures since 2008 doubles to $80 billion

  • Duration 2:21
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There's some shocking new data that is just doubt that finds that one in seven Americans one in seven.

Now qualifies.

For food stamps in this country that is according to the numbers just released by the Census Bureau.

And since 2008.

The amount spent on food stamps by the federal government.

Has doubled to nearly eighty billion dollars season -- joins us now live in Washington says Steve.

What changes are being proposed for this program.

Well for one thing of both the house and the senate have proposals to cut billions of dollars out of the food stamp program.

There is a program of course designed to help feed low income families in tough times.

But some are asking how much help is a can of soda or a twinkie.

The current rules allow people to buy anything from stakes in caviar -- ice cream and candy with their food stamps.

And some nutrition advocates want tough new restrictions.

That would limit purchases to healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.

The idea is to promote better nutrition while reducing obesity diabetes and heart disease.

Old.

Food assistance programs that the government subsidizes.

Except for snapped and have nutritional recommendations.

Snap is a supplemental nutrition assistance program said it would make sense to put nutrition in today's.

Concerns by the way is the -- through democratic congressman Dennis Kucinich Murtha.

So you know that you point to -- there's really no way to it to sort of determine how the money is being spent once people get it for food stamps right.

We're right it's not clear at all because of the Department of Agriculture is not releasing any data on who's buying a lot with their food stamps.

The agency tells Fox News USDA is prohibited by law from releasing any data on the amount of snap.

Benefits.

Spend -- individual stores and snap of course is food stamps.

At least one advocate for food stamp perform says USDA should release that information.

I absolutely think they should because this is a major.

He's -- federal program we need to know how it's working.

Whether people are getting the benefits that American people walked in that yet.

Food stamp program makes about 80% of the farm bill that's now being debated on Capitol Hill that could come up for a vote later this year -- a -- -- Steve thanks very much different kind of thing.

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