A GOP Lawmaker Wants to Make Sure Terrorists Don’t Get Food Stamps

Some laws exist to maintain an orderly society and impart a sense of morality upon its citizens. Other laws are written to prevent people from doing something incredibly stupid, even if it's unlikely the law will ever need to be enforced—you know, just in case. Somewhere in the middle is a new law proposed by a Republican congressman from Maine that would prevent convicted terrorists from receiving food stamps.

Representative Bruce Poliquin introduced the legislation this week, The Hill reports.

"Terrorist victims and their families should never be forced to fund those who harmed them," Poliquin said in a statement.

Poliquin admits he doesn't know of any instances of terrorists receiving food stamps, but he's got your back just in case it ever happens. He plans to close what he calls a "loophole" in the qualifications for food stamps under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Also barred from receiving food stamps are people convicted of violent crimes like rape and murder. Felons with drug convictions are likewise banned unless states request a waiver.

Republican presidential candidates have been using threats of terrorism as rallying points in their campaigns. Poliquin is running for re-election this year, but he insists this has nothing to do with politics.

"This has nothing to do with politics," Poliquin told the Bangor Daily News. "I cannot imagine that I'm going to be able to find a taxpayer in our 2nd District that wants to use his or her federal tax dollars to buy food stamps for accomplices to terrorist attacks here in America."

Fair, but you're also probably not going to be able to find a convicted terrorist that isn't in jail. Jail, by the way, is a taxpayer-funded institution that costs a whole of a lot more than food stamps.

Eligibility for food stamps is an issue that has been in the news lately, as new federal rules took effect that will require most able-bodied adults without dependents and aged 18 through 49 to work in order to receive food stamps for more than three months. More than a million Americans are set to lose their food stamps at the end of March.

Poliquin is building support for his bill, and so far he has one other Republican co-sponsor on board. If voters in the terrorist hotspot of Maine's second district want to make sure their tax dollars aren't feeding terrorists, they know who to vote for.