[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 161 (Tuesday, October 25, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H7017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE FOOD STAMP CHALLENGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to talk about the millions 
of Americans who woke up this morning facing a separate and unequal 
America, a separate and unequal America marked not by the American 
Dream and limitless opportunities, but an America of the unemployed and 
poverty stricken, an America marked by struggle and fear of the 
future--the struggle just to find a job, the struggle to keep their 
home, the struggle to put enough food on the table.
  Americans all across the country are struggling and believe that 
their government is not looking out for their best interests and 
instead is working just for rich bankers and massive corporations. 
People across the Nation are losing faith in our democratic processes 
and, thank goodness, are taking to the streets to tell their friends, 
neighbors, and their government that much more must be done for the 
American people and not just for the super rich. They are saying very 
loudly that the obstacles to achieving the American Dream must be 
removed. Too many families across our great Nation are wondering for 
the first time if our children's generation will be left worse off than 
the generation before it.
  I urge the Republican leadership of the House to quickly pass the 
President's American Jobs Act to restore the American economy and bring 
some relief to the millions of Americans who are struggling every day 
just to get by.
  Mr. Speaker, more than 46 million Americans will apply for food 
stamps this month. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or 
SNAP, previously known to many as food stamps, provides the average 
person a benefit of about $133 a month--that's $4.50 a day, $1.50 a 
meal. There is a Member of the Senate, however, who seems to believe 
that there might be millions of Americans who are getting rich by 
applying for food stamps. Let me assure the good Senator from Alabama 
that it is not fraud that is causing the rising demand for nutrition 
assistance in America, but the years of failed economic policies that 
have lined the pockets of corporate billionaires and left average 
Americans behind. A program with one of the lowest fraud rates of any 
program in our entire government is not out of control. But let me 
state as clearly as I can, having to apply for food stamps to put 
enough food on the table to keep your children from going hungry is not 
like winning the lottery. One in seven Americans do receive food 
stamps, but millions more are eligible but don't apply. And I'm certain 
that each and every family would be willing to trade in their book of 
food stamps for a decent job with livable wages and benefits.
  Mr. Speaker, I'm taking part in the Fourth Annual Food Stamp 
Challenge, along with several other Members on this side of the aisle--
Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio, Congressman Joe Courtney of Connecticut, 
Chairman Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge of 
Ohio, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, Congresswoman 
Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, and Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin. 
And I invite every Member of Congress to join us in living for a few 
days or a week on what a family on food stamps will face every day of 
the year. I hope that the challenge will open our eyes to the 
challenges and the struggles of the millions of Americans who face 
hunger each and every day. Living in poverty and facing food insecurity 
means missed meals, poor health, and lost productivity.
  Even if you choose not to join the Food Stamp Challenge, I encourage 
you all to stop and consider what it means to have $31.50 to spend on 
food for the entire week. Stop for a moment and consider that there are 
over 46 million Americans who have to swallow their pride and ask for 
help just to put food on the table. As a former recipient of food 
stamps myself as a single young mom, I know how difficult this is. I 
did it because I had to do it just to get over some very difficult 
times. Forty-six million Americans who reached out to their fellow 
Americans during their time of need--and I thank the American people 
during my time of need--they were glad to be there to lend a helping 
hand. We cannot make cuts to SNAP or Medicaid or Social Security right 
when children and senior citizens need them the most. So I hope that my 
colleagues take up the Food Stamp Challenge.
  I also encourage each Member to join me and the 43 other Members of 
the Congressional Out-of-Poverty Caucus in ending poverty in America to 
ensure that no family in our country needs to ever face hunger again. 
The Out-of-Poverty Caucus is working to reignite the American Dream so 
that every man, woman, and child is provided the opportunities to 
achieve the American Dream. But right now, these 47 million people 
living in poverty and on food stamps need us to protect the safety net.
  And for those individuals and persons of faith, we have to remember 
that this is a moral issue also. I want to remind you of the Scripture, 
``To whom much is given, much is expected.'' It's also an economic 
issue though; for every $1 spent on food stamps, $1.79 is placed into 
the economy.

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