Christie Rejects Food Aid Giving $54 for Each $1 Paid

Three states are ending a program that qualified residents for extra food paid for by the federal government -- including two, New Jersey and Wisconsin, led by potential Republican presidential candidates.

Congress in February passed a law to raise the costs of so-called heat-and-eat programs. Such initiatives had allowed states to give residents as little as $1 a year in home-heating assistance to qualify for an average of $1,080 a year in added food stamps. The new minimum state contribution is $20 per household a year, and Chris Christie’s New Jersey, Scott Walker’s Wisconsin as well as Michigan are taking a pass.