Vilsack: SNAP is not a Giveaway Program

During his 1964 State of the Union address, then president Lyndon Johnson said:

"We must distribute more food to the needy through a broader food stamp program."

Of course, the USDA has operated some sort of food stamp program since 1939; today it is called SNAP.  Every so often Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has to defend that program, even to some farmers.  He recently told an audience that for every dollar invested in SNAP, $3 go to the economy.

His message for farmers:

"You need to understand that if we spend a billion dollars on SNAP, $150-million of that is finding it's way into a farmer's pocket."

Coming from extra demand and sales of more food products.

"That means more stuff has to be stocked, more stuff has to be transported, more stuff has to be processed; those are all jobs in the economy."

So basically, Vilsack said SNAP helps participants and the economy, and it's not just "giving something away."​

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