[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 14, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H227-H228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET PROPOSAL

  (Ms. CARSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, today is Valentine's Day, representing our 
heart. I would like to extend my heart to all of the Members of the 
United States Congress.
  The President's budget does not, in fact, reflect a warm heart, as it 
eliminates funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. Each 
month, CSFP provides over 475,000 low-income individuals with 
nutritious food packages; 85 percent of the recipients are seniors, all 
with income levels below a meager $12,400 per year.
  In Indiana, 4,979 seniors are currently enrolled in this program. 
Next year, they could go hungry if the program is eliminated.
  The budget proposal enables participants to enroll in a food stamp 
program once the CSFP is eliminated. The food stamp program, while 
extremely important, does not offer the same benefit and convenience 
that CSFP does. The food packages that seniors receive from the CSFP go 
to veterans who are sleeping under a bridge and who are homeless.
  I would ask the majority leadership of this Congress to redress those 
inequities in the President's budget.
  Some seniors are also hesitant to participate in the food stamp 
program because they perceive it as a welfare program. Yet these same 
seniors participate in the CSFP in Indiana.
  I was touched by the story of a senior who received her first CSFP 
box from Gleaners. She cried after discovering 12 pudding cups in her 
box. Her case manager explained, ``Pudding is a luxury she has not been 
able to afford in a very long time.'' Let's not forget that as we craft 
a budget resolution, something as simple as pudding cups are a great 
luxury for some Americans.

[[Page H228]]

  Our budget is a reflection of our values and priorities. Our seniors 
deserve the very best from us, and it is incumbent upon us to keep them 
in mind when determining our budget allocations.

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