Posted on November 25, 2014

Obama Admin Threatens to Cut Maine Food Stamp Funds over Photo ID Law

Wynton Hall, Breitbart, November 22, 2014

The Obama administration threatened to cut Maine’s food stamp funding on Thursday over its law requiring welfare recipients to show their photo ID when receiving their taxpayer-funded benefits.

In a letter to Maine officials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the food stamp program, said the state’s law could be a civil rights violation and may have a “chilling effect” on individuals seeking food stamps.

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Maine officials rejected the Obama administration’s logic.

“We do not believe that a policy putting photos on EBT cards has a ‘chilling effect’ on their appropriate use any more than putting photos on drivers licenses has a ‘chilling effect’ on driving,” said Maine Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew.

Mayhew added, “The fed’s objective in coming to Maine was nothing more than an attempt to undermine our ongoing efforts to reduce fraud, waste and abuse in welfare programs.”

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