If we have learned one thing about the phenomenon that is Donald Trump, people are starting to pay attention to things that might be lost if the Trump budget were passed as is. When was the last time you thought about Meals on Wheels? But now you have people fighting for Meals on Wheels.
The GOP has been on the attack against PBS and NPR for years, going after the CPB that partially funds PBS and NPR. The PBS stations are on the financial brink even before January 20 came along.
Gutting the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) sparked people's interest in saving PBS. No offense to the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, PBS is full of excellent, quality cooking shows that air without commercials. If your PBS station has the Create TV channel on its subchannel list, please take advantage of amazing cooking shows. For example, Create TV is on 11-3 in Chicago. And you don't need cable to access the channel.
Chipping away at the few school lunch gains under Barack Obama
Sonny Perdue is a large step closer to becoming the Secretary of Agriculture. The Senate Agriculture Committee last week approved Perdue’s nomination by a voice vote. Besides the abstention of Perdue's cousin, Sen. David Perdue (R-GA), the only contrary voice came from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who is becoming my personal hero over her consistent take on Trump cabinet nominees. During the hearing, Sen. Gillibrand criticized Perdue’s record on food stamps while he was governor of Georgia.
The Department of Agriculture doesn't get enough money, but if the Trump budget goes through, the department will receive a 21% cut in funding. Perdue will have to do less with even less money.
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The uncertainty effect is doing its damage from people being afraid to take advantage of food stamps to regional food stamps cuts tied to cuts in heating aid to growing concerns of not enough people to harvest the crops on American farms.
The Trump budget also cuts $200 million for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The Trump budget has significant cuts in international food aid, including Food for Peace.
The Department of Health and Human Services, home of the FDA, is set for a 18% cut in the Trump budget. Food inspections for protein such as meat, chicken, and eggs will be safe, pun intended. But other food inspections could be at risk, increasing concerns over food safety.
Then again, Trump reportedly doesn't like vegetables but eats plenty of fast food meat.
While we hear over and over that the Trump budget will not pass as is, there is quite a bit of damage the GOP could do in the 2018 federal budget.
Celebrating the Michelle Obama legacy for food and nutrition
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah hasn't been nearly as funny as in the old regime. The show has spent very little time on the food supply. Still, the idea of tying the military into Meals on Wheels was hilarious. The spoof illustrated how Meals on Wheels is also important to our nation's veterans. We should be compassionate for the sake of being compassionate but if a military edge is what it takes, people need the food help.
Do you have a favorite PBS cooking show? Let us know in the comments section.
video credit: The Daily Show with Trevor Noah/Comedy Central
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