A Lost Decade in Fighting Poverty

In the wake of the House Republicans 217 to 210 decision to cut food stamps it's worth revisiting how the 2000s were a lost decade for the poor. 

From the Census numbers released this week:

Food stamps were one of the few brights spots in a frayed social safety net. In 2012, one in five Americans were poor or near poor. The slight progress barely dented 2011's record high.