Witnesses: -2 The following represented the United States Department 1. Mr. Robert Greenstein, Acting Administrator, Food Statements Filed: None -3 Thursday, May 10, 1979 Domestic Marketing, Consumer Relations, and Nutrition Subcommittee Business Meeting Food Stamps H.R. 2412 Action Taken: Without objection Richmond substitute amendment approved as By roll call vote of 3 yeas-5 nays Grassley amendment By unanimous voice vote Glickman amendment raising cap By roll call vote of 6 yeas-2 nays H.R. 2412, as amended, Chairman Richmond called the meeting to order for the purpose of markup of H.R. 2412, a bill to amend section 18 of the Food Stamp Act of 1977. Counsel Kramer was recognized to explain the provisions and purpose of the bill. Attached are charts which were submitted pursuant to questions of the Subcommittee. Mr. Richmond offered the attached substitute amendment and without objection it was open for amendment at any point. Mr. Grassley offered an amendment to raise the cap on the food stamp program to the figure reflected in the Simon amendment to the Third Concurrent Resolution on the Budget which was adopted by the House, as follows: Strike all in lines 8 through 11 and insert in lieu thereof: "not in excess of $6,674,000,000". Discussion occurred on the amendment, and Mr. Grassley requested a recorded vote on the amendment. Thus, by a roll call vote of 3 yeas-5 nays the Grassley amendment was not agreed to. Mr. Glickman offered an amendment to raise the food stamp cap to $6,808,900,000. Discussion occurred and by a unanimous voice vote the amendment was approved. Mr. Grassley requested a recorded vote on the reporting of the bill, as amended, to the full Committee, and the vote follows: Thus, by a roll call vote of 6 yeas-2 nays H.R. 2412, as amended, ordered favorably reported to the full Committee in the presence of a quorum. Staff was directed to prepare a clean bill to reflect the Subcommittee's intent for introduction and consideration by the full Committee. At 11:25 a.m. the meeting was adjourned, subject to the call of the Chair. Glenda Temple FY 1979 FOOD STAMP PROGRAM COSTS Administration's current estimate (5/8/79) Elimination of the purchase requirement more people enter program than expected they come on sooner 362 28% 491 32% Question: If benefits are cut from food stamp recipients at the higher end of the income scale, is it possible to exempt the elderly and disabled from this cut? Answer: No, this is not at all possible. Over 80 percent of all food stamp issuance is computerized. The computers in nearly all States contain only the income information necessary to compute the amount of food stamps that households receive. The computers do not have identifiers that distinguish the elderly and disabled. There is simply no way to cut households with higher incomes and exempt elderly and disabled from this reduction. |