By Aaron Kinney

Posted: 10/31/2011 04:11:05 PM PDT

Updated: 11/01/2011 01:08:31 PM PDT

MILLBRAE -- What's on the menu for Rep. Jackie Speier this week? Tuna casserole, and a lot of it.

Congresswoman Speier walked the aisles of the Millbrae Safeway on Monday morning in search of bargains. The Hillsborough congresswoman has pledged to live on a food-stamp budget for five days as part of a national campaign to call attention to rising poverty.

Poverty affects 15.1 percent of Americans in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Nearly 46 million American are receiving food stamps.

With just $22.50 to spend on groceries, Speier was forced to make hard choices on $4.50 per day.

She picked up canned tuna, rotini, rice, carrots and a few other items totaling $15.62, then returned an onion, a tomato and a can of chili con carne, She wanted to be able to afford some grapefruit later at Trader Joe's.

Believe it or not, the GOP is trying to make budget cuts to Food Stamps. Food stamps are a core welfare program that is highly effective. In Fact, far more effective than GOP tax cuts.

Check out the Moody's Analytic's table for the bang for the buck you get from different federal stimulus programs.

We applaud Rep. Speiers. She is a real mensch!