Food stamps untouched after all

The US House of Representatives removed a proposed $700 million cut from the Food Stamps Program in a marathon budget bill session. Part of the explanation may be found in a Dec. 14 nonbinding Senate vote opposing the planned cuts; another explanation could be found in a protest by religious leaders against the food stamps and other cuts.

But the victory is not total for the New York City anti-hunger movement. A 1 percent across-the-board cut will cut from food pantries, soup kitchens, food banks, and more, and broader cuts will take funds away from programs that address the root cause of hunger in America: poverty.