food stamps

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (California 9th District) is living off of $21 a week.

Did Congress suddenly decided to rollback on their self-determined wealthy wages of $165k/yr starting salary plus lifetime pension?

nope. she is taking a House Hunger Caucus' "Food Stamp Challenge" because the program is up for re-authorization this summer. $21/week is the national weekly average benefit for a family on food stamps. it's not the first time that Congresswoman Lee has subsisted off foodstamps. so she's keepin' it real.

my family was on food stamps play money after my parents split and we moved from waikiki to san D, trading ma'ona pua truck, sho pao & li hing mui for public assistance, while my mom worked at the Cannon towel factory, and up until my mom got her GED, some english language skills, & a clerical job where she's been underpaid for the last 25+ years. this challenge reminds me of all the crappy processed poverty food (velveeta, powdered milk, uncle ben's, instant macaroni & cheese, spaghetti, margarine, jelly, genero-genero) that was my introduction to mainland american cuisine back in the day before there were vinamese groceries in 'Dago. and creating unhealthy childhood nutrition patterns that i'm still trying to unravel in my adult years.

now see, this integrity and Congresswoman Lee referencing the Tonkin Gulf resolution in her sole (and vindicated) opposition vote against the Authorized Use of Military Force resolution (2001)
is why i actually go to the polls after a five year boycott of the Nation-State's dog & pony show