[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 89 (Thursday, June 20, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H3932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SNAP ISN'T A HANDOUT; IT'S AN ASSIST

  (Ms. KELLY of Illinois asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of many 
Illinois residents and one in seven American families in opposing the 
$20.5 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in 
this year's FARRM Bill.
  I have always believed that an America where we're in this together 
is much better than an America where we're on our own.
  For 46 million low-income Americans, SNAP is a helping hand, and it's 
our Nation's most important antihunger program. It's also the most 
effective defense against the steep rise in extreme poverty in America. 
Between 1996 and 2011, SNAP kept more households with children out of 
extreme poverty than any other government program.
  I have ended my participation in the SNAP challenge, where I lived on 
$4.50 worth of food a day. While I merely participated in this as a 
challenge, I often thought about the many families for whom this is an 
everyday reality.
  SNAP isn't a bailout. SNAP isn't a handout. SNAP is an assist. It's a 
bridge over troubled water, and there is still more we can do.

                          ____________________