Harkin, Hatch Try Food Stamp Bill Again

Harkin, Hatch Try Food Stamp Bill Again

WASHINGTONSens. Tom Harkin(D-Iowa) and Orrin Hatch (RUtah) have reintroduced a bill (S. 1546) that wouldamend the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to expand the approved use of food stamps topurchases of vitamin and mineral supplements.The Food Stamp Vitamin andMineral Act of 2005 was introduced and read to the Senate, then referred tothe Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, on which Harkin is theranking member. At press time, Congress was on a District Work Recess and wasscheduled to resume business on Sept. 6.

The two senators first introduced such an amendment in July1999 (S. 1307) and noted various studies highlighting the effects of nutritionaldeficiencies among low income populations. Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) introduced aconcurrent, identical food stamp bill in the House (H.R. 3304), but neither billmade it out of committee. In 2002, Harkin continued to push the food stamp idea,getting a provision for food stamp use for nutritional supplements included inthe Farm Bill (H.R.

2646). While the Farm Bill with provision passed the Senate,the provision was removed after a House and Senate review. Not backing down,Harkin told attendees at the 2005 National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA)trade show it bothers him to see food stamps used for Twinkies and Ding Dongsand other junk food, but not for multivitamins that can help addressdeficiencies.