MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: SNAP Program

Interview

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SCHULTZ: Congresswoman, you first. Please respond to Eric Cantor`s claim this bill will lead to self-reliance. He just on the floor -- a few moments said that.

REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY, (D) ILLINOIS: It`s so painful even to respond to that kind of demonizing of people who need some help over a hump. You know, most people, the average is less than a year on the SNAP program. I don`t understand Eric Cantor be willing to take food out of the mouth of hungry children. Almost half of the SNAP recipients are children. Are they supposed to go to work, are the mothers of an infant supposed to go to work, and by the way, there are strict work requirements already built into the program. And I have to tell you, Ed I did the SNAP program for a week, lived on $4.50 a day. It`s not easy to do.

And I`ll tell you. Eric Cantor, all of my colleagues who do go to church on Sunday or synagogue on Saturday or to the mosque on Friday, all the religions and you`ve brought it up are urging a no vote to cut the SNAP program. They`re urging the members of Congress to vote, yes because this is a moral issue. This is a compassionate country. And one more thing, for every dollar for the SNAP program, generates about $1.70 in economic activity. So, even from an economic point of view, this is a really good program.

SCHULTZ: Jennifer Granholm, you`re the former governor of Michigan, what will this do to people in metropolitan areas who are struggling.

GRANHOLM: I mean, there is no question about what it would do, Ed. And I just want to give you a standing O for starting this program so strong. I think that we should be on this program challenging every single Republican member of the House who votes yes to cut this, to go on that food stamp challenge, to try to live on $4.50 a day.

You raised the issue of morality. Well, in 25th chapter of Matthew, the Lord says, "Whatsoever you do unto the least of this, you do unto me." I`d like to see these Republicans looking at their pastor or at their, you know, their house of worship on Friday, on Sunday and say, "Yes, I served the Lord by cutting poor people off." Ask this new pope who`s been all about serving the poor. This is -- It`s more than an outrage. This is a moral issue. Who are we as a nation? The richest nation on the phase of the earth to cut 4 to 6 million people, the most vulnerable off of food, shame on us.

SCHULTZ: Congresswoman, what do you make to Phil Gingrey`s comments, does he exemplify a mindset in Congress. Do most people in Congress using your judgment here and your opinion, do they really think their underpaid when the rest of the country is struggling in many respects?

SCHAKOWSKY: Isn`t that stunning? A $174,000 a year and Phil Gingrey thinks he needs to make more money.

SCHULTZ: That`s a tough for a senator complaining about his income.

SCHAKOWSKY: You know, Phil Gingrey is a doctor and children who can`t get the nutrition, seniors who can`t eat properly and by the way 7 percent of those who are in SNAP program are military veterans. This is not healthy for our country.

SCHULTZ: I thought we support the troops.

SCHAKOWSKY: No, not always.

SCHULTZ: Jennifer Granholm, looking down the road, is this going to be the Republican shooting themselves in the foot. This is just, you know, the war on women, the attack on labor and now picking on the poor and that`s exactly what this is. This is picking on the most vulnerable in our society and -- but let`s keep in mind politically speaking, this is the least powerful group in America too.

GRANHOLM: Well it is but think about this, Ed 48 percent of household headed by women, 48 percent of single mothers who have young children at home are now living in poverty in America, 48 percent.

So if you don`t think this is part of our vital (ph), think this is part of a war on women and on children, they got something else coming, but I can tell you those single moms are not interested in the arguments over Keynes versus Hayek, Ian Ren(ph) versus Paul Krugman. They want to put food on their table.

This is a pragmatic issue for people who just want to survive and anybody who thinks that cutting food stamps is going to create jobs and cost people to be more self-sufficient when there`s only one job for every three people who are looking has got something else coming. This is the wrong way to attack growth in the economy. Invest in job creation. Don`t just cut people off when they need it most.

SCHULTZ: All right. We will follow this vote and bring it to you when it comes down in this hour. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and former Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm, great to have you with us tonight and I think there`s a real parallel between the 40 somewhat votes to strike down ObamaCare in the House and what the House is doing right now and we all know how the votes going to turn out. They`re going to cut $40 billion out of food stamps, that`s what they want to do. Just think if we didn`t have a Democratic Senate or a Democrat in the White House.

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