Associated Press
SANTA FE — Gov. Bill Richardson and the leaders of five other states are asking Congress to restore federal funding for a nationwide program that provides food aid to the very poor.
The Bush administration has proposed cutting funding to the $107 million Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides food to low-income mothers and children under 6 years old, as well as to the elderly poor.
"I am very concerned that eliminating this program will leave our most vulnerable citizens, especially our kids, without access to healthy, nutritional foods,'' Richardson said in a statement. "We must keep this vital lifeline open. Young children need good nutrition to grow up strong and healthy.''
The governor's office said about 18,000 New Mexicans benefits from the program, which is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service.
President Bush warned last week that he would use his power to veto spending bills if Congress does not cut the federal budget as he has asked. He said that restraining spending was crucial to cutting the deficit in half by 2009.
Richardson and the governors of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Montana and Oklahoma sent a letter Wednesday to House and Senate leaders, saying they understand the need to balance fiscal responsibility with good public policy.
"We can think of no better policy than to continue programs like the CSFP that provide the most basic needs to a critical, at risk segment of our population,'' the letter states. "The small investment made in CSFP provides incalculable benefits long term and therefore continuing funding also makes good fiscal sense.''
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