Rep. Bruce Poliquin’s congressional voting record looks to be at odds with the interests of most of his constituents.

He voted for the Republican tax bill, which was rushed through without adequate consideration and debate. That bill delivered benefits to huge corporations and wealthy Americans, which were touted as a way to produce a surge in business investment, creating jobs, raising wages and spurring economic growth.

A survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta now reveals that most businesses say that this law has changed their investment plans only slightly, if at all. Few voters received minimal bonuses or raises; most haven’t seen any change in their paychecks. Sen. Marco Rubio recently told the Economist that there is no evidence that the tax plan significantly helped American workers.

Rep. Poliquin’s vote has resulted in an increase in wealth for the wealthy and a mushrooming of the budget deficit. Now he and other Republicans plan to address that deficit in part by implementing changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka “food stamps”). The work or volunteer requirements involved sound reasonable, yet many who are currently eligible for SNAP benefits are already working at low-paying jobs; are disabled from work or caring for someone who is disabled; are elderly; or lack the transportation or child care needed to hold a job.

Of the U.S. counties with the highest rates of food insecurity, according to the group Feeding America, 76 percent are rural, where jobs and volunteer opportunities are not readily available. Many rural counties in Maine are home to children of working families struggling to survive who currently benefit from SNAP.

Sure, slashing SNAP would appear to lower the budget deficit, but at what cost? And how would our economy benefit in the long run from children being underfed and more families falling through the cracks?

Just who is Rep. Poliquin representing?

Laura Lander

Harpswell


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