The U.S. government spent $1 trillion last year on means-tested welfare aid, providing cash, food, housing, medical care, and social services to poor and low-income individuals. Led by Republican Gov. Paul LePage, Maine has shown an effective way to weed out fraudsters who collect food stamps, the nation's second largest welfare program.
The number of food stamp recipients has risen dramatically, from 17.2 million in 2000 to 45.8 million in 2015. Costs have soared over the same period, from $20.7 billion in 2000 to $83.1 billion in 2014.
