exponentially up 37 percent. what does that say about now we are starting to recover 2011 had a tremendous use of food stamps^, how can we stop the trend. >>clayton: get out of the recession. the number of americans on food stamps last year is remarkable, 45 million, 70 percent increase from 2007. what the c.b.o. is saying, lock, because of the jump in spending on food stamps it came at a point during the stimulus money in 2009 and they added an additional 20 percent to the stimulus law to go for food stands so those receiving food stamps got a 20 percent butch so therefore you see the increase.