Bush politics as usual.

WASHINGTON –Democrats are accusing the Bush administration of holding up a report on the number of people going hungry in the United States.

Since 1999, the number of people struggling with hunger has risen from 31 million to 38 million in 2004. The Agriculture Department report has generally been released in October, a month after annual poverty figures are released by the Census Department.

Democrats said the delay appears political. Competitive elections across the country will decide next Tuesday whether President Bush’s party keeps control of Congress.

USDA officials said the report has long been set for a mid-November release and that the delay is not political.

Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., compared the delay to a recent IRS decision to hold off collections of back taxes from last year’s hurricane victims.

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