In the midst of a heated fight in Congress over whether to cut the food-stamp program, data collected by Oklahoma Watch (see below) shows how the program has grown in each county as well as statewide.

Republicans have attributed the growth to a relaxation of rules that allowed more people to enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Democrats have pointed to the recession and weak recovery as the primary driver of growth.

The Senate approved a nearly $1 trillion farm bill that included $4.1 billion in cuts to food stamps. Republicans in the House propose to cut much more.

Oklahoma’s share of households on food stamps is higher than the national average. An Oklahoma Watch story published in December reported that according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Oklahoma had the 20th highest percentage of households getting food stamps, at 14.3 percent, in 2011.

MORE OKLAHOMANS USE FOOD STAMPS

The number of Oklahomans receiving food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, increased by 14 percent from fiscal 2010 to 2012.

Source: Oklahoma Department of Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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