latest in a record of 65 lawsuits that Bacerra has brought against the Trump administration. The Social Services agency and county welfare department have been preparing people for a contingency in case they lose their monthly grocery money form the Federal SNAP. In California, it is known as CalFresh. Meanwhile, the state lawmakers have been floating possible workarounds.
It is Cruel and Illegal The U.S Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said that the rule will restore the original intent of the food stamps; “self-sufficiency.” “We need to encourage people by giving them a helping hand but not allowing it to become an indefinitely giving hand,” Perdue said in a statement. However, the anti-poverty advocates in the state rejected the claim that limiting the food stamps will encourage people to work more. In fact, they went on to cite evidence that food stamps work requirements have
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failed elsewhere. The initial proposal sparked a debate with more than 140,000 public comments, many calling the move outdated and cruel. The Attorney generals agree that the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act which lays out the steps, including notification of the public and comment periods required to make the rules. With this rule, the government did not adequately assess the impact of the rule, or how to mitigate its effects. The states also argue that the rule defies a policy that has been there for quite some time and the original intent of the work requirement law by eliminating the states’ ability to decide whether childless adults must work given the local labor market conditions. “The Rule unequivocally runs afoul of Congress’s intent to ensure food security for low-income individuals and to permit States, who have a better understanding of their labor markets and economic conditions, to apply for waivers and use exemptions where local or individual circumstances warrant relief,” the lawsuit states.
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