DCCA Secretary Melvin L. Faisao earlier said that the CNMI will get over $12 million in federal funding for food stamp beneficiaries in 2010.
He said the CNMI is among the 48 states and territories included in the allocation of funding based on the thrifty food plan of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Faisao said Hawaii and Alaska have a higher tier system.
Under the thrifty food plan or market basket, the food prices reflect an average price for the nation as a whole.
As mandated by law, the food stamp allotments in Alaska and Hawaii are calculated separately and are higher than the allotments for the continental U.S.
“This is where I seek the assistance of the Legislature to join DCCA in conveying to the U.S. Congress [that] the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program did not have statutory inclusion or extension to the CNMI,” Faisao said.
The CNMI is also not fully included in the military build-up on Guam, he added.
Faisao said because the prices of commodities in the CNMI continue to rise, low-income individuals and indigents have stopped acquiring health insurance so they can have food on the table.
Reports from DCCA showed a total of 2,733 household cases and 7,848 household members served by the food stamp program as of May 2009.
Faisao earlier said that the department expects an increase in the number of clients in the coming years due to the economic instability in the islands.
The food stamp program is administered by DCCA and operates under a block grant from the USDA.
