New US food aid programs

This is the link to the article: http://politicsofpoverty.oxfamamerica.org/.

The US is reforming the food aid program to allow them to assist more people around the world.  From the outside, this seems like a great initiative.  It is hard to argue against feeding the hungry.  But, in the face of one of the worst US recessions of all time, now might not be the best time to increase efforts in foreign aid.  Right now, the American unemployment percentage is higher than any other time in the last 50 years.  I believe that the government should start focusing their efforts on ensuring that Americans are not hungry.  Before doing anything else, our government should ensure that all citizens have their basic needs met(food, water, shelter).  It may sound selfish, but most people would agree that you have to take care of yourself before you can help others.  The US has always gone out of its way to
provide assistance to any country in need.  It would be a selfless act, if the assistance for these countries wasn't coming from American taxpayers.  I find it hard to feel responsibility for other countries when I know there are thousands of people in Atlanta tonight that are jobless and hungry.  I believe that the reason the government is more inclined toward foreign aid compared to domestic aid, is because its simpler.  In the US, people have to qualify for programs like welfare and food stamps.  The government has to jump through self-imposed hoops in order to provide those people any sort of assistance.  These restrictions are necessary to prevent undeserving people from obtaining aid.  However, there are no restrictions against the government helping foreign countries.  Ironically, the laws imposed by the US to protect its integrity are the same laws that prevents its government to helping its own citizens.