Blame high poverty on Republicans

Red states continue to lead in poverty as they slash aid to lower-income Americans

Since 2010, the federal government has attempted to gain a better idea of how many Americans live in poverty by measuring not just pretax income, cash benefits, and inflation, but non-cash benefits like Medicaid and tax credits, as well as housing and other costs.

Called the Supplemental Poverty Measure [SPM], the program adjusts for all income sources along with cost-of-living differences in housing, utilities, food, and household goods. Some claim the SPM is a…