WASHINGTON (WCMH/AP) — The White House has proposed a cut to the food stamps program in favor of a packaged food delivery system.
According to CNBC, the plan would make the government in charge of what foods low-income families eat under the program, which would be similar to the Blue Apron delivery service.
“I don’t want to steal somebody’s copyright,” White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told reporters Monday. “You actually receive the food instead of receiving the cash.”
According to a summary of the proposal compiled by the Agriculture Department and obtained by CNBC, the boxes would replace about half of the current program’s cash benefits.
All food would be grown domestically and include “shelf-stable” items such as juice, pasta, canned meat, and beans.
Trump also is proposing work requirements for several federal programs, including housing subsidies, food stamps, and Medicaid. Such ideas have the backing from powerful figures in Congress, including Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who promises action on a “workforce development” agenda this year.
Trump’s plan aims at other familiar targets. It would eliminate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The administration wants NASA out of the International Space Station by 2025 and private businesses running the orbiting outpost instead.
