House members passed a $26 billion education jobs bill. On top of funding Medicaid, it will save at least 161,000 teachers from pink slips and also help stifle losses of another 158,000 public employees. What many don't know is that it accomplishes this by cutting $12 million from future food-stamp funding. The recession has driven food-stamp rolls up to a record 40 million Americans. A family of four will lose $59 a month in food-stamp benefits once the cuts go into effect in 2014. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who chairs the subcommittee responsible for food-stamp funding, and Rep. James McGovern of Massachusetts have vowed to restore funding to the food-stamp program when they return from their summer recess in September. That's good, since it's really hard to concentrate in school when you're hungry. Congress will have to find another place to cut funds. Let's take a wild guess. Arts and recreation?
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—Nsenga K. Burton