[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 89 (Thursday, June 20, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       FEDERAL AGRICULTURE REFORM AND RISK MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2013

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. TAMMY DUCKWORTH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 2013

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1947) to 
     provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and 
     other programs of the Department of Agriculture through 
     fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes:

  Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Chair, the Farm Bill that we are considering today 
includes massive cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 
(SNAP) program--$20.5 billion to be exact.
  I am offering an amendment that will help us understand the 
repercussions of these drastic cuts.
  My amendment will require the Secretary of Agriculture to report to 
Congress on the effects of SNAP cuts on charitable food providers, like 
food banks and soup kitchens. Should these devastating cuts become law, 
it is common sense that we should know the consequences--my amendment 
is about taking responsibility.
  There is little room to cut this vital program. The average SNAP 
benefit is now only $4.50 a day. That's just $1.50 a meal. And this 
benefit will get even lower in November when the 2009 Recovery Act 
increase expires.
  The reality is that these cuts will significantly increase demand on 
charitable food providers who are already stretched to the limit trying 
to meet the needs of our communities during this tough economic time.
  These providers are facing the perfect storm--over the past few years 
demand for their services has been increasing as the federal, state and 
local, and private funding they depend on has dwindled. Higher food and 
fuel prices are also making it harder for them to purchase and 
distribute food.
  Charities simply do not have the resources to fill the growing 
funding gaps. This means that when the SNAP program faces further cuts, 
hungry Americans will have nowhere else to turn.
  I hope every Member in this body will agree that in the wealthiest 
nation in the world, no American child should go to school hungry and 
no parent should have to make the difficult decision between paying 
rent or paying for groceries. This is simply unconscionable.
  At this point we've all heard the numbers--these cuts will end food 
aid for nearly 2 million Americans and cut 210,000 children off of 
school lunch and breakfast programs.
  This is a very personal issue for me. I was one of those hungry 
children. My father lost his job when I was a teenager and it was food 
stamps that kept me from going hungry. Food stamps, school breakfast 
and school lunch were there for me so I could worry about school 
instead of hunger. They nourished me so I could develop the skills to 
serve our country in the Army, the VA, and here in Congress.
  This is also very personal for many of my constituents like Christine 
from Elgin, Illinois. It is because of her SNAP benefits and the Willow 
Creek Community Church's Food Pantry that Christine is able to provide 
food for her family. Her husband was laid off from the manufacturing 
company he worked at for 29 years. Christine, who is now disabled, can 
no longer work as a Nursing Assistant. Theirs is one of 3,000 families 
that Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois serves 
per month.
  It is personal for the husband and wife who now count on SNAP 
benefits and the Church of the Holy Spirit Food Pantry in Schaumburg, 
IL after the husband lost his job as an electrician due to nerve damage 
in his hand, and they saw their savings quickly drain.
  It is personal for the hard working employees and volunteers at the 
Greater Chicago Food Depository who serve 77 percent more people today 
than they did in 2008.
  These stories are just a tiny sample. Forty-seven million Americans--
most of whom are children, elderly or disabled--rely on the SNAP 
program.
  These cuts are not just numbers on a page. They affect real human 
beings. They will have devastating consequences for real families.
  I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and face the reality 
of what these devastating cuts will mean for families and charities all 
across the country.

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