16. President John F. Kennedy’s First Step In The Office Included Expanding Food Stamps
At his time, Kennedy became known as a progressive president. He wanted to help American citizens in a way that most presidents didn’t. While he is known for his Civil Rights work, one of the first steps Kennedy took once he stepped into the White House was expanding the food stamp program.
On February 2, 1961, President Kennedy announced the initiation of Food Stamp pilot programs. These programs eliminated the concept of exceptional surplus food but requested that citizens continue to purchase food stamps. The United States Congress agreed with Kennedy’s decision and started working toward distributing food stamps again.
