[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 124 (Thursday, September 19, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H5661-H5662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    POTENTIAL CUTS TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Horsford) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today opposed to the 
potential cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or 
SNAP, an important food program that lifts families, children, and 
seniors out of poverty and provides an important safety net for those 
in need.
  SNAP is our Nation's most important antihunger program. It provides 
food assistance to approximately 46 million Americans, and it kept 4.7 
million people out of poverty in 2011, including over 2 million 
children. This food program has cut the number of children living in 
extreme poverty in America in half.
  Now, earlier this year, my colleagues on the other side approved a 
farm bill, but left the food for America's families behind. They passed 
special subsidies for Big Ag but, for the first time in decades, 
excluded funding for food assistance for America's families in need.
  And now, months after providing special subsidies for Big Ag, House 
Republicans are bringing forward a bill to cut food assistance by $40 
billion. Apparently, the first attempt at $20 billion was not deep 
enough. So they pass a farm bill that provides corporate subsidies, but 
they leave food for America's families behind.
  In my district and in the State of Nevada, more than 71 percent of 
SNAP participants are families with children. Almost 26 percent of all 
SNAP participants are in families with elderly and disabled members, 
and nearly 42 percent of all SNAP families are in working families.
  So House Republicans support corporate welfare for Big Ag and big 
business, but cut food assistance for the elderly, for disabled, and, 
yes, even our veterans.
  We should not be cutting the safety net for our most vulnerable while 
maintaining costly government subsidies for the well-off junk food, 
oil, and gas industries.
  SNAP benefits, Mr. Speaker, average less than $1.50 per person per 
meal. That amount is set to drop to about $1.40 this fall, when the 
2009 Recovery Act's temporary benefit boost ends.
  Now, the person who receives $1.50 per meal in Nevada is not the 
problem with the budget. The problem is corporate welfare and the 
special interest giveaways that litter our Tax Code.
  I recently held a telephone town hall the last time the Republicans 
tried to gut food assistance for America's families and my 
constituents. I heard from families who are doing everything they can 
to provide for their families. I heard from seniors who are doing their 
best to keep their heads above water and moms who are doing their best 
to escape poverty. If we cut SNAP even further, we are cutting a 
lifeline for these families.
  Now, another important constituency that is affected by this cut is 
our veterans. Census data indicate that nationwide, approximately 
900,000 veterans receive SNAP assistance each

[[Page H5662]]

month. An estimated 170,000 of those 900,000 veterans could be affected 
by the House Republican proposal to cut $40 billion from SNAP.
  In my State, studies estimate that 72,184 veterans receive assistance 
from this important food assistance program. That means roughly one in 
three veterans in Nevada--one in three--receive assistance from SNAP.
  Well, my question to the House Republicans is: Is this how we repay 
our veterans--is their sacrifice not enough?--by trying to ram through 
$40 billion in cuts to programs that people rely on, and then when that 
doesn't work, doubling down and trying to make those cuts even worse?
  Military families are on a pace this year to redeem more than $100 
million in food aid on military bases, and the House Republican 
reaction is to tell them that they need to live with less?
  I can't do that. I can't tell those families, Sorry, but you haven't 
sacrificed enough.
  I urge my colleagues to do the responsible thing, do the right thing. 
Avoid these draconian cuts to programs that combat hunger effectively. 
This isn't waste. This is a critical social safety net program that 
families and children and veterans rely on.
  I urge this body to oppose the House Republican plan.

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