The GOP poverty agenda: more job training, more pee

GOP governors have long wanted to drug test some food stamp beneficiaries. No Images? Click here         The Republican Poverty Agenda: More Job Training, More Pee​ The U.S. government runs just one large-scale program that supplements poor people’s incomes and Republicans want to make that support more difficult for some to obtain. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, gives more than 40 million Americans a monthly food allowance averaging about $125 per recipient ― less than a typical person needs for a month’s worth of food. Republicans on Capitol Hill want more SNAP recipients to enroll in government training programs or take available jobs that are likely to pay little. Republicans in the Trump administration are considering a plan promoted by several GOP governors to have some SNAP recipients urinate in cups to prove they’re not on drugs. The Department of Agriculture may allow states to drug test SNAP recipients, according to emails obtained and published this week by the Associated Press. The tests would be required mostly for able-bodied people who have no dependents, according to the AP. Republican governors such as Scott Walker of Wisconsin have long wanted to drug test some food stamp beneficiaries, but had been blocked from doing so by the Obama administration. READ MORE     WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? President Donald Trump’s deputy national security adviser is leaving the White House. Ricky Waddell “plans to step down from his position,” a spokeswoman for the White House confirmed in a statement to HuffPost. READ MORE Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt directed staff to book travel that allowed him to personally accrue more frequent flier miles, insisting on flying first class on an airline not on the government’s approved list and staying in pricey hotels, according to a bombshell new letter released by congressional investigators.  READ MORE Secretary of state nominee Mike Pompeo is well-known for his militaristic foreign policy stances and for his cozy relationship with President Donald Trump. But during his confirmation hearing on Thursday to be the nation’s next secretary of state, Pompeo reversed several of his previous publicly stated positions — or claimed to have forgotten them altogether. READ MORE         ICYMI Just 24 hours after announcing he won’t run for re-election, Speaker Paul Ryan threw House Republicans another curveball Thursday.   A watchdog group just tore at least one veil of secrecy off the White House with a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. Redacted records for four White House offices will be made public after Public Citizen sued for them.   Domestic terrorism isn't a federal crime. If you didn't know that, you're not alone. The lack of a federal criminal statute outlawing domestic terrorism “causes confusion and frustration,” according to an FBI special agent.       Want more?  Trump Judicial Nominee Refuses To Say If She Agrees With Desegregated Schools   Interior Department Spokeswoman Calls CNN Reporter ‘A F**king Idiot’ For Doing Her Job   Even Now, Paul Ryan Really Doesn’t Want To Talk About Donald Trump   HuffPost is now a part of Oath and a part of Verizon. On May 25th 2018 we will be introducing a new Oath Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More. How will Trump’s administration impact you? Sign up for our email and find out. Did a friend send you this? Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it. Want more? Here are two other newsletters you'll love: The Morning Email and Must Reads. ©2017 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe   - - Preferences  |  Unsubscribe