Recent news items have noted that Rep. Jim McGovern, his wife, and several other MOCs have decided to call attention to the need to increase Food Stamp Program benefits by trying to feed themselves for a week on the amount of money provided by the program. From the Sun Chronicle in Massachusetts:

Like a lot of Americans, the McGoverns went grocery shopping Monday for their weekly food supply. But unlike most, U.S. Rep. James McGovern (MA-3) and his wife, Lisa, limited themselves to $42 worth of food for the two of them. The groceries must last them seven days as they experiment with what it would be to live like the average food stamp recipient on $3 a day. James McGovern is trying to bring attention to the lack of funding for food stamps as Congress gets ready to reauthorize the Farm Bill, which includes the appropriations for nutrition. The minimum benefit of $10 a month has not been increased since the 1970s, he said. Even the average benefit of $21 per person a week is too low to adequately feed people, he said. "What we in Congress need to do is determine what is appropriate and necessary. We need a debate on our priorities," he said. So starting today, McGovern, his wife and four other members of Congress will feed themselves on $3 a day for a week.

I was on hand at the National Immigration Forum's 25th Anniversary Dinner at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, where Rep. Jim McGovern was recognized for his extraordinary leadership on immigration reform issues, both as a Member of Congress and as a staffer to former Rep. Joe Moakley. Towards the end of his remarks, in which he paid tribute as others had to the Forum's founder, my friend and colleague in farm subsidy reform, Rick Swartz, McGovern said he had to leave without eating the very nice meal before us.

Why? Because it would have been cheating on his pledge to live on a Food Stamp budget this week. That's about a buck per meal, and the spread at the Mayflower would have blown the whole week's budget and then some.