That's what they were singing in the Republican side of the United States of America's House of Representatives (that's right, YOUR representives, carrying out YOUR will in YOUR name) as 216 Congresspeople (all Republicans) defeated 196 Democrats and 12 Republicans whe didn't think that passing a farm bill with ZERO food stamp money was going to be a good idea.
That's right (and I know it sounds like an insane plot to a movie about society gone mad) the GOP actually took Food Stamps out of the Farm bill – effectively de-funding a program that feeds 47M Americans (the bottom 15%). Fortunately, we still have a Democratic President and the White House has vowed to veto the bill, rather than simply cutting off food to 47M human beings at the end of the month. A statement released overnight said that the food stamp program "is a cornerstone of our nation's food assistance safety net, and should not be left behind as the rest of the Farm Bill advances."
Even in a chamber used to acrimony, Thursday’s debate in the House was particularly brutal. Democrats repeatedly called for roll-call votes on parliamentary procedures and motions to adjourn, delaying the final vote by hours and charging Republicans over and over again with callousness and cruelty.
Republicans shouted protests, trying to silence the most strident Democrats, and were repeatedly forced to vote to uphold their own parliamentary rulings.
"It's all about denying the working poor the right to food," Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., claimed, accusing Republicans of attacking "poor people."
Asked before the vote Thursday if he would allow a compromise bill to come to a final vote in the House, Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio shrugged and said: “If ands and buts were candy and nuts, every day would be Christmas."
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