A Conservative Call to Action on Hunger

A trip to the grocery store these days drains the wallets of every American, but for low-income families, buying food for the week often completely wipes out their budgets. Unfortunately, it seems like these higher food prices are here to stay.

While we struggle to solve other national problems like the economic downturn, ending hunger is something we know how to do. In fact, the federal food stamp program - soon to be rebranded as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) - works. Yet, with the current increase in grocery prices, the amount of food stamp assistance no longer covers the costs of feeding a family for the entire month. The one good thing to come out of this spring’s dismal and pork-laden farm bill was an increase in nutrition subsidies. However, it is not enough.

Typically these arguments come only from anti-hunger and poverty advocates. That is why Michael Gerson’s Op/Ed in yesterday’s Washington Post was so effective. As a former Bush policy adviser and speech writer, he gives a conservative voice to the issue of domestic hunger and outlines a very morally compelling, straightforward and bipartisan argument for the expansion of the food stamp program:

And this raises a moral issue. We have in place an automated food stamp program that is generally efficient and effective. We know it could be expanded with little increase in overhead. And we know with precision when its benefit runs out each month. So how is it then possible to justify funding three weeks of food instead of four? What additional dependence, what added moral hazard could a full month of eating possibly create?

Many social problems seem complex beyond hope. But dramatic progress against hunger is not. There are many explanations why this effort has not been undertaken — but there are no good excuses.

Let’s hope that leaders from both sides of the aisle hear Gerson’s moral call-to-action and get behind a simple solution to enable all Americans put food on the table for their families