Salt of the Earth: In session

In session: legislative update
July 2000

Relief for reform's hungry children
Can DNA protect the innocent?

Relief for reform's hungry children
Despite low unemployment, unprecedented economic expansion, and reductions in poverty, one family in ten in the United States cannot always afford enough food—31 million people, including more than 12 million children, live in these homes. Nearly 4 percent of U.S. households have family members who go without food, which translates to 9 million people, including more than 3.2 million children.

Part of the problem stems from the more restrictive food stamp policies the federal government has instituted in recent years. The 1996 final welfare reform bill hit the food stamp program (FSP) hard, cutting $28 billion and tightening FSP eligibility requirements. As a result, 10 million fewer people received food stamps in 1999 than in 1994, a drop of one third. Some observers attribute much of this decline to a stronger economy and problems implementing the 1996 welfare law, but as much as 10 percent is due to limits on eligibility established in the welfare law. Moreover, between 1995 and 1997, the decline in the number of food stamp recipients was five times greater than the decline in the number of people living in poverty.

To address these critical gaps, several U.S. senators and representatives have introduced the Hunger Relief Act (HRA). The act has 113 House and 24 Senate cosponsors as well as the support of the Clinton Administration, and is also strongly supported by Bread for the World, a nationwide Christian organization that lobbies national decision-makers on behalf of hunger issues, and by the United States Catholic Conference.

The act would allow states the option of letting families own a car worth more than $4,650 and still receive food stamps, a situation current regulations prohibit. Also, low-income legal immigrants, many of whom work and pay taxes, would again be eligible for food stamps. Third, housing expenses would be given greater consideration in the calculation of food stamp benefits. Currently the shelter deduction is "capped," and consequently families with high rent or utility bills receive a smaller allowance for food than their income, expenses, and family size warrant. The Hunger Relief Act would raise this cap, and allow families with high shelter costs to receive additional food stamp benefits. Finally, funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) would increase. TEFAP provides commodities to local food banks and other emergency food providers, many of which are experiencing increased demand for services.

"Over the next five years," says Bread for the World president David Beckmann, "the HRA would cost about $10 per U.S. citizen—3 video rentals for every American—and would provide nutrition assistance for more than 1 million hungry people."
Back to page top

Can DNA protect the innocent?
Two-thirds of death penalty cases from 1973 to 1995 were overturned on appeal, according to a recent study from Columbia University. (See story.) The nation's capital punishment system is "collapsing under the weight of it own mistakes . . . . It's not one case, it's thousands of cases [4,578 appeals] . . . . It's not one state, it's almost all of the states . . . . You're creating a very high risk that some errors are going to get through the process," said Columbia University law professor James Leibman, the lead author of the study.

Incompetent defense and misconduct by prosecutors appear to be the main contributors to the breakdown of the death penalty prosecution system, the Columbia study said. Additional reports show that since 1973, 86 death row prisoners have been found innocent—at least eight as a result of DNA evidence. These prisoners spent an average of seven years on death row before proving their innocence. Meanwhile, the time between the average capital conviction and execution has been shortened to 8 years because of legislative and judicial efforts to speed up the execution process.

In order to insure that prisoners not be executed before they have a chance to prove their innocence, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) introduced H.R. 3623, The Accuracy in Judicial Administration Act of 2000, which would impose a minimum 7-year national moratorium on all U.S. executions until all inmates currently sitting on death row have an opportunity to explore DNA and other evidence which may prove their innocence.

The bill is currently in the hands of the House Judiciary Committee, which will determine whether or not to hold hearings on the bill.

House action:
Call/write to urge your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor HR 3623. Also, ask him/her to press Henry Hyde (R-IL), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and John Conyers (D-MI), ranking member of the committee, to hold hearings on this bill.

Call/write Henry Hyde and John Conyers and ask them to hold hearings. Toll Free: 888-449-3511; 877-722-7494.

To write your representative, go to the house website: www.house.gov/writerep/

Senate action:
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) sponsored SR 2690, Innocence Protection Act, to reduce the risk of executing innocent persons by ensuring that state and federal prisoners have access to DNA testing. This bill begins to remedy disparities in the administration of the death penalty that underlie the growing national call for a moratorium, including inadequate legal counsel. Three Republicans are now cosponsors: Gordon Smith (OR), Susan Collins (ME), Jim Jeffords (VT).

Call/write to urge your senators to co-sponsor this SR 2690. Also, ask him/her to press Orrin Hatch (R-UT), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to hold hearings on this bill.

Call/write Senator Hatch and ask him to hold hearings. Toll Free: 888-449-3511; 877-722-7494.

To write your senators, go to the Senate website: www.senate.gov

Also:
Urge President Clinton to enact a federal moratorium on the death penalty. E-mail President@whitehouse.gov

To sign up for regular bulletins of upcoming legislation, visit the 8th Day Center for Justice.

Back to page top

Back to page top