Trade-Offs

The teabaggers want to cut food stamps in a major way -- like taking away $4 billion a year. Since the teabagger caucus is, by definition, operating at less than full capacity (remember, their poster boy is Rand Paul (R-Atlas Shrugged)), it makes sense that they would think that there will be no consequences.

Well, that's not the case.

The health and financial risks of hunger have not played a major role in the debate. But the medical community says cutting food aid could backfire through higher Medicaid and Medicare costs.

"If you're interested in saving health care costs, the dumbest thing you can do is cut nutrition," said Dr. Deborah Frank of Boston Medical Center, who founded the Children's HealthWatch pediatric research institute.

"People don't make the hunger-health connection."

A study published this week helps illustrate that link. Food banks report longer lines at the end of the month as families exhaust their grocery budgets, and California researchers found that more poor people with a dangerous diabetes complication are hospitalized then, too.

And that's just diabetes. Want to bet there's also a spike in other chronic illnesses at the end of the month among the poor -- who are more likely to have chronic conditions anyway, due to poor childhood nutrition. And of course, there's the here-and-now effects.

Other research shows children from food-insecure families are 30 percent more likely to have been hospitalized for a range of illnesses. But after a temporary boost in benefits from the 2009 economic stimulus, children whose families used food stamps were significantly more likely to be well than kids in low-income families that didn't participate, Children's HealthWatch found. About half of food stamp recipients are children, and 10 percent are elderly.

But don't worry -- Republicans are looking out for us -- really, truly:

The bill will also likely add some money for food banks and test new work requirements for recipients in a few states, a priority for many Republicans.

"While this program is an important part of our safety net, our overriding goal should be to help our citizens with the education and skills they need to get back on their feet so that they can provide for themselves and their families," said Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., when the farm bill was on the House floor last summer.

So, Mr. Cantor, where's your jobs bill? Where's the support for public education?

I'm waiting.