Tag: Debbie Stabenow

Tom Brenner for The New York Times WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it would seek to put in place more stringent work requirements for adults who rely on food stamps, even as the president signed a sweeping farm bill in which lawmakers had rejected stricter rules. By moving to limit the ability of states to issue waivers to people who say they cannot make ends meet under the requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Agriculture Department found another route to create restrictions, bypassing Congress and drawing immediate criticism that the proposed rule was sure to harm Americans below the poverty line. The administration, which along with conservatives had fought to include stricter work requirements in the farm bill, continued to argue that food stamps were never meant to be a way of life and that able-bodied adults should be able to find jobs in a healthy economy. “Long-term reliance on government assistance has never been part of the American dream,” Sonny Perdue, the agriculture secretary, said in a statement. The Trump administration is planning to make it harder for some food stamp recipients to obtain waivers of the program’s work requirements. “I think a fresh view from the Department of Agriculture at that process and at that data is a healthy and good thing,” he said. “Was it a partisan move when the Obama administration expanded the waivers?” Representative K. Michael Conaway, Republican of Texas and the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, praised the department’s move. In campaign rallies, Mr. Trump has used exaggerated terms to describe the reduction, which began before he took office. In September, individuals with SNAP benefits received an average benefit of $123 a month, compared with $245 for families, according to the most recently available government data. With the new rules, the Agriculture Department is focusing on able-bodied adults without dependents, who can access SNAP for only three months in a three-year period unless they are working at least 80 hours a month.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., won a fourth term in office after the 2018 midterms, and she joins Morning Joe to discuss her race and a new op-ed on women candidates from Michigan. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc About: MSNBC is…

Democrats court West Virginians with pre-existing conditions On Tuesday, President Trump will head to West Virginia, home to one of the most competitive Senate races in the country. A Gallup poll following Mr. Trump's first year in office found that he received his highest approval ratings in 2017 from West Virginians. He and his campaign are hoping to convince West Virginia voters that a vote for Morrisey is a vote against coverage for pre-existing conditions. We actually got rid of Obamacare, except for one vote. Three in four say a candidate must agree with them on health care to get their vote. Health care may be more of a make-or-break issue for Democrats. Incumbent Republican Rep. Don Young is running for reelection in Alaska's one at-large House seat. Senate primaries In Wyoming, incumbent Republican Sen. John Barrasso is expected to advance and win reelection this fall. Gubernatorial primaries There are gubernatorial primaries in both Alaska and Wyoming. In Alaska, the Republican gubernatorial primary is very competitive.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Former legislative leader Gretchen Whitmer won the Democrats' nomination for Michigan governor on Tuesday, leading what could be an all-female Democratic statewide ticket into her fall showdown against Republican state Attorney General Bill Schuette, an ally of President Donald Trump. Whitmer, the first woman to lead a Michigan state Senate caucus, beat former Detroit health director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and chemical-testing entrepreneur Shri Thanedar, who had tried to outflank her from the left. With Whitmer's victory, Michigan's Democrats are currently set to field an all-female ticket for statewide office, though Whitmer could still choose a male running mate. She called for voters this fall to "reject the politics of division and exclusion, the politics of just taking care of a few at the expense of us all. "We have so many elected officials with no political background. Steve Lauer, 75, a retired business consultant from Traverse City, said he backed Schuette because of his experience and conservative beliefs. Colbeck, a former rocket scientist who hoped to offset lower fundraising with enthusiasm from grassroots volunteers, proposed initiatives such as eliminating the state income tax. Voters in Michigan also decided other primary races. John James won the GOP Senate primary and will try to deny Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow a fourth term in November. His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/David%20Eggert .