With $6B Spent, Texas Ranks Just After California in Food Stamp Use

Four million people on the much-abused program

More than 4 million Texans - the greatest number of any state in the country - spent $6 billion last year through the federal food stamp program.

In an average month in 2012, 46.6 million Americans used food stamps at a cost for the year of $74.6 billion, according to new data released Thursday on the statehealthfacts.org website.

The website is run by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a Menlo Park, Calif., nonprofit specializing in national and international health care policy.

Texas ranked second among the states in the amount spent on food stamp purchases, the abuse of which Texas Watchdog has helped uncover. California spent the most, $7.1 billion.