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| Food-Assistance Funding Reinstated |
May 06, 2006 |
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"This program reaches people who are unlikely to use food stamps, in particular the elderly."
Rep. Heather Wilson
Read the Wilson press release
By Carolyn Carlson
Journal Staff Writer
Funding for a federal food program for low-income senior citizens, children and pregnant women has been reinstated in the federal 2007 budget, according to U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson.
 President George W. Bush proposed in the 2007 budget to eliminate funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides nearly $1 million to New Mexico each year. He proposed giving commodity clients $20 in food stamps each month instead.
Wilson opposed cutting this funding, saying it would hurt some of the most vulnerable citizens.
"I am happy that this program will be able to continue to help feed more than 16,000 New Mexicans," Wilson said Friday. "This program reached people who are unlikely to use food stamps, in particular the elderly."
In February, Louisa Martinez, 83, of Bernalillo, upon hearing of the proposed cut, said, "(President) Bush should not be cutting key programs that help the poor and the elderly in order to fund his deficit, his war and his friends."
On Friday, when told the funding had been reinstated, Martinez said it was a good thing.
"I am glad because there are a lot of people who need it," Martinez said. "I was mad at the president for trying to cut it out. This makes me less mad. We are Americans. He is the president. He should take care of us."
Wilson said a little more than $118 million had been put into the budget.
"This is $11 million more than was previously funded," Wilson said.
The program, which is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, dates to 1968.
Vicki Metheny, program supervisor for Economic Council Helping Others (ECHO), a nonprofit organization that runs the Commodity Supplemental Food Program in New Mexico, said Friday it was great news.
"This is an important first step," Metheny said.
She said Friday that the reinstated funding, once the budget is signed by President Bush, will continue to provide crucial food to many residents who would not otherwise have access to healthy meals.
She said funding will at the least maintain the current case load ECHO serves.
"Congresswoman Wilson stepping out as a Republican to reinstate this funding was really important," Metheny said.
Wilson said the reinstatement shows that the voices who supported the program were heard.
"The system is working," Wilson said. "The people were heard."
She said there is broad-based support in Congress to fund this program.
New Mexico in 2006 received about $1 million to administer the federal program to 16,418 people each month. Nationwide, more than 512,000 people participate in the program each month, according to ECHO.
According to ECHO, a typical monthly package includes canned and nonfat dry milk, canned vegetables and fruit, juices, cereals, pasta or rice, peanut butter or pinto beans, canned protein such as tuna, salmon, chicken, beef or pork, and a 2-pound block of cheese.
ECHO is at 1301 Broadway NE, on the west side of Broadway just north of Mountain Road.
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