Congress' Top 3 Complaints About the Slow Economic Recovery
Straight from the horse's mouth -- that of Rep. Kevin Brady, chairman of the Joint Economic Committee -- here are Congress' top three complaints about our economic recovery.
Food stamps
Congress Divided Over Federal Food-Stamp Program
House and Senate committees have laid the groundwork this week for reducing the size of the federal food stamp program, approving farm bills that would shrink food aid.
Sequestration Cuts? Not In My Backyard, Insist Legislators
Is this how we save the federal budget? Sequestration cuts are starting to hit home ... and legislators are starting to complain.
It's International Women's Day: How Does the U.S. Wage Gap Compare?
Happy International Women's Day, America: Overall, your women are doing pretty well. But when it comes to wage equality -- how much women earn compared to men -- the land of the free and the home of the brave ranks a startling 61st worldwide, behind nations like Madagascar, Cambodia and Guyana.
Sequester Saves Money...By Taking It Away From Women and Children
Sequestration is slashing the budget and saving billions of dollars -- but is it destroying women in the process?
Safety Net Success Stories: Four Former 47%-ers Speak Out
At some point in your life, were you a 47%-er? On the heels of a leaked videotape in which GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney spoke harshly of those who pay no federal income tax, some now-successful Americans have been stepping up publicly to answer this question in the affirmative.
Has US Economy Bottomed Out? Census Suggests Yes
Americans are on the move again after record numbers had stayed put, more young adults are leaving their parents' homes to take a chance with college or the job market, once-sharp declines in births are leveling off and poverty is slowing.
Digging Into the U.S. Budget: What We Spend, and How
Getting even a tentative handle on the multi-trillion dollar federal budget is no easy matter. Still, as the debate surrounding U.S. spending, taxes and the looming debt ceiling continues, it's worth asking: Exactly how does America spend all that cash, and what do the choices being debated really mean?
The Growing Threat of Food Insecurity in America
The Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as "lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times due to lack of financial resources." Record food stamp enrollment over the last two years suggests that food insecurity has been getting worse.
Newt Gingrich: Say No to 'More Food Stamps'
"More food stamps? Or more paychecks?" Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich suggests that's how the GOP should couch the national policy debate before the midterm elections. But will it work?
One in Six Americans Is Now on Medicaid
A record one in six Americans is on Medicaid, the government's health program for the poor. And Medicaid is just one of several government anti-poverty programs that have seen large increases in caseloads -- and costs.
Gen Y Uses Food Stamps to Buy Organic Food? So What!
A new wave of young college-educated Americans are buying organic foods on the taxpayer dime. Dubbed "hipsters on food stamps," these able-bodied members of Generation Y are redefining what it means to be on government assistance.
Homeless, Thanks to the Great Recession
After Jennifer Paul's husband died suddenly two years ago, she and daughter Alyssa left New Jersey for Fort Myers, Fla., where Jennifer got a job doing data entry. But disaster again struck when her employer abruptly closed. Now they're back in downtrodden Camden, N.J., in a shelter. Here's her story, the third in a series DailyFinance is doing to highlight this deep downturn's often-unseen human toll.
Retailers: More Customers Using Food Stamps
Retailers are adjusting to an increasing number of customers buying food with food stamps. Some stores have had to change they way to do business to accommodate shoppers on food stamps, who flood the stores on the first day of the month, when the benefits arrive.
