The Republicans in Washington have not learned a bit from the Wisconsin debacle and, instead, are continuing their attack on workers.  To recap, the crisis on Wall Street has led lawmakers to ask workers and the middle class to sacrifice, while companies like GE and Bank of America pay not a single cent in corporate taxes.  And now, the attack continues.

A group of House Republicans is launching a new assault on union workers.  GOP Reps. Jim Jordan (OH), Tim Scott (SC), Scott Garrett (NJ), Dan Burton (IN), and Louie Gohmert (TX) have introduced H.R. 1135, which states that it is designed to “provide information on total spending on means-tested welfare programs, to provide additional work requirements, and to provide an overall spending limit on means-tested welfare programs.”  Nothing too awful so far.  The bill mostly about verifying those that apply for federal benefits are eligible to do so.  But, buried deep in the bill is the sneak attack on workers.  The bill, if passed, would actually cut off all food stamp benefits to any family where one adult member is engaging in a strike against an employer.  The bill states that “striking workers are ineligible.”

The bill also includes a provision that would exempt households from losing eligibility, “if the household was eligible immediately prior to such strike, however, such family unit shall not receive an increased allotment as the result of a decrease in the income of the striking member or members of the household.”

Entire families would lose eligibility for food stamps based on a strike.  This means children that have no control over their parents’ jobs could go hungry.  Tell me the GOP is pro-life because it just doesn’t seem like it to me.  Currently, there is a record 42 million Americans utilizing food stamps during this great recession.  Prohibiting families from receiving food stamps is just another nail in the GOP coffin.

Share This

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

About the author

Erin Chavez
Erin Whitney-Chavez has been writing professionally since 2009. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts from St. Bonaventure University and received a Master of Arts in mental-health counseling from Argosy University. Erin Whitney-Chavez is a licensed mental health counselor and has worked in the mental-health field for more than 10 years.