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California Uses Loophole To Exempt 95% of State from Food Stamp Work Requirement

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved a waiver in July allowing 55 out of California’s 58 counties to be exempt from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s work requirements.

Breitbart News reported that able-bodied adults, between the ages of 18 and 49, without dependents, are usually required to work to recieve SNAP — often referred to as “food stamps.”

“The current SNAP statute requires that able-bodied working-age adults without dependents work at least 80 hours per month (or an average of 20 hours per week),” according to Breitbart.

However, current law creates a waiver for states if they meet certain unemployment requirements, including a recent average unemployment rate 20 percent or higher above the national average.

California applied for a waiver to exempt most its counties from work requirements using fiscal year data from 2015 to 2017, stating that from April 2015 to March 2017, the unemployment rate average in 55 of its counties was 5.9 percent, which barely reached the “20 percent or above” threshold.

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As of July, the Golden State’s unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, or 8 percent above the national average of 3.9 percent.

In June, the House narrowly passed a farm bill (213-211), which stiffens the work requirements for SNAP nationwide, NPR reported.

Every Democrat opposed the farm bill over the proposed changes.

“The measure restricts who is eligible to receive aid and also requires millions of Americans who receive food through government assistance to work 20 hours per week, enroll in job training programs or be cut off from those benefits,” according to NPR.

Do you think there should be a work requirement to receive food stamps?

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, described the work requirements for eligibility for SNAP as “really important” in a video posted by the Agricultural Committee.

“What we need to do is make sure if there are jobs out there, which there are for people, we ought to make sure that people are getting into the workforce,” he said. “And we put really good work requirements in place to help people get off food stamps and back into the workforce so they can become part of the American dream.”

In late June, the Senate rejected the work requirement provision on a 68-30 vote and passed its own version of the farm bill without that language.

As of May, 39.3 million Americans were enrolled in the SNAP program, which is a reduction of 3.4 million since President Donald Trump took office.

While California is seeking to exempt SNAP recipients from the need to seek gainful employment for an additional year, Michigan just strengthened its work requirement.

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The Detroit Free Press reported that all able-bodied adults between 18 and 49 will be required to work in order to apply for benefits.

Those currently receiving benefits will have three months from the date of their annual review to obtain work or they will not longer be eligible for SNAP.

Work includes either 20 hours or more per week in a paying job; participating in an approved job training program for 20 hours or more per week or participating in a community service for a non-profit organization.

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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