[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 182 (Wednesday, November 8, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H8652-H8657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FOOD SECURITY IN AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2017, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and 
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of 
this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today as the vice 
chair of the House Agriculture Committee and chair of the House 
Agriculture Nutrition Subcommittee.
  We are currently working on a farm bill, and the farm bill has 
legislative policy that really has multiple purposes. One is to make 
sure that Americans have food security, they have access to affordable, 
high-quality, and safe food. Also, though, it is just as much about 
making sure that we have a vibrant, rural economy, Madam Speaker.
  Within the farm bill, there is the nutrition title. Tonight, I want 
to spend some time talking about the nutrition title and the importance 
of that nutrition title. Obviously, nutrition matters. We know the 
health benefits from getting access to nutritional food.
  Madam Speaker, there is kind of a value I grew up with growing up in 
a rural community. Madam Speaker, I say that one of the worst parts 
about growing up in a small, rural community is, quite frankly, 
everybody knew your business. If you did something wrong, before you 
got home, Mom and Dad probably already heard about it. Now, I have to 
say that was the worst part.
  The best part about growing up in a rural community is that everybody 
knew your business. And when a family had a need, whether there was a 
crisis of any type, an emergency, neighbors stepped forward. Neighbors 
helped neighbors. They stepped forward, whether it was support, love, 
financial support, food, physical assistance, whatever that might be.
  And, for me, that principle, that value of neighbor helping neighbor 
is really what the nutrition title of the farm bill is all about. And 
the most appropriate place for the nutrition title and our nutrition 
programs is in the farm bill because, after all, there is not a calorie 
that is consumed within the nutrition programs that is not raised by a 
farm family someplace.
  So this evening, we really want to take some time and zero in on what 
we call D-SNAP within the nutrition title. SNAP stands for the 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Madam Speaker.
  At one time, it was called food stamps. That was many years ago. That 
still gets tossed around. But it is really the SNAP benefits today. It 
is supplemental. It is assistance that comes after an individual or a 
family, whatever resources they put towards their own foods needs. 
Obviously, it is what their family can assist them with and it is what 
their community can assist them with, whether that is their church or 
another civic organization or, perhaps, a food bank.
  We also have nutritional programs called TEFAP that provide food and 
food commodities to our food banks as well. That can be the subject of 
another evening to talk about.
  Tonight, we want to talk about D-SNAP. Those are specific benefits 
that come at times of disaster.
  We know that our country has been really overwhelmed with disasters. 
We have seen, obviously, hurricanes in the Texas and Louisiana area. We 
have seen hurricanes in the Florida and Georgia area. We have seen 
multiple hurricanes in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. We have seen 
wildfires that have taken homes and lives, dramatic wildfires, intense 
wildfires, burning entire neighborhoods and communities in both 
California and Oregon, specifically.
  So, this evening, I want to spend a little bit of time talking about 
those D-SNAP disaster programs. I am very proud about the programs that 
are authorized through the House Agriculture Committee, through the 
farm bill, through our work.
  We are working on a farm bill right now. This next one expires in 
October of next year, 2018. But because of the rural economy, we feel 
it is very important that we do that ahead of time, and we are hoping 
to accomplish that soon, in the months to come. We will see how that 
works out.
  We have got a lot of work to continue to do on it, but that is our 
goal. The rural farm economy, farm income, has been down by 50 percent 
for a number of years, so this would be a really positive thing for 
rural America to be able to accomplish this farm bill.
  So tonight we want to talk a little bit about, specifically, food 
assistance for disaster relief, otherwise referred to as D-SNAP.

  Madam Speaker, there is nothing more important than providing food

[[Page H8653]]

when people find themselves suddenly and often critically in need 
following a storm, an earthquake, a flood, obviously, a hurricane, a 
wildfire, or any other disaster emergency. It is hard enough if you 
have lost your home or you have lost your place of employment. You 
shouldn't need to worry about where your next warm meal is coming from. 
That is what our D-SNAP, or our food assistance for disaster relief, 
does.
  I am very proud, as I started to say, of the Agriculture Committee 
and our role within oversight authorizing these programs. But I am also 
very appreciative of the very dedicated individuals who work at the 
United States Department of Agriculture and, specifically, the Food and 
Nutrition Service, referred to as FNS, under the leadership of the 
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.
  Over the past several months, we have had a number of natural 
disasters that everyone is well aware of. They have devastated parts of 
our Nation, from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria to the wildfires on 
the West Coast. USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, FNS, has worked 
diligently to ensure that those impacted by these disasters have enough 
to eat.

                              {time}  1845

  Now, working in close coordination with the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, or FEMA; our State partners; and volunteer 
organizations, FNS has not only ensured that individuals participating 
in our regular nutrition assistance programs continue to receive the 
nourishment that they need, but also that other populations affected by 
the disaster have access to the food.
  Madam Speaker, under the authority that is provided through the farm 
bill, and specifically section 301 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, through USDA, we are able to 
provide administrative flexibilities, including waivers for program 
requirements in cases of Federal major disaster declarations, which we 
have seen so many of those in the past few months.
  We were able to provide technical assistance to State leaders in 
impacted areas to assist them to determine what flexibilities or 
waivers are best suited for the stage of the disaster at hand. Requests 
for waivers and flexibilities are submitted to FNS by State agencies. 
That is where the need is determined by when those declarations are 
made. For example, waivers for school meal program operations are 
requested by the State department that oversees the school meal 
program. And waivers from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
Program, or SNAP, as we have talked about, are requested by the SNAP 
State agency.
  So these flexibilities and waivers in food aid programs are provided 
at different stages in the disaster.
  In just a little bit, we are going to talk about some of the 
different disasters we have faced in the States and how these programs 
that are made available through our work in the Agriculture Committee 
have really been there to serve our neighbors in need.
  When a disaster is anticipated, an FNS best practice is to work with 
the State agencies and potentially impacted areas to determine what 
flexibilities are most needed.
  Madam Speaker, some of these waivers and flexibilities, they range 
from early issuance of SNAP benefits; to SNAP automatic mass 
replacement; and extension of time to report food loss, food loss that 
was purchased with SNAP benefits, food that was supplemental to assist 
families and individuals in need; a SNAP hot foods waiver.
  Normally, the food under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
Program that is purchased, taken home, is nutritional food and prepared 
to be able to serve, and normally hot food purchase is not allowed.
  When people have lost their homes, when they have lost those types of 
critical assets, and in the middle of that, being able to have that 
waiver to be able to go to where there is food that has been cooked, 
whether it is a convenience store, whether it is a fast food 
restaurant, although normally not a place that is approved for SNAP 
benefits, we recognize that may be the only warm food available, given 
when you are in the middle or immediately following a disaster, and so 
those waivers are provided.
  Special Supplemental Nutrition Programs for Women, Infants, and 
Children, or the WIC program. FNS has the ability to grant 
flexibilities and substitutions in WIC to disaster-stricken States on 
items such as fluid milk, bread, juice, cheese, eggs, basic staples, 
for example, when regional demand and the supply chain disruptions are 
present.
  Child nutrition programs. FNS allows for a number of flexibilities 
during disasters, such as allowing disaster-affected schools and 
institutions to provide meals to all children at no cost and to be 
reimbursed at the free reimbursement rate for a limited period of time 
when a geographic area is heavily devastated by a declared disaster 
emergency and where the normal processes of food provided in the home 
has been disrupted. All these things and so much more, Madam Speaker, 
are part of this.
  We also have a disaster household distribution which is a part of the 
program. That is high quality, nutritious, 100 percent American-grown-
and-produced food. USDA foods are distributed to food banks and other 
partner organizations.
  In times of disaster, especially when disaster-affected populations 
do not have access to congregate feeding, in other words, coming 
together to be able to get their food, they are in isolated communities 
and/or grocery stores are not operating because of the disasters, a 
State agency may request to operate a disaster household distribution 
program, in which food banks and voluntary organizations utilize the 
household-size USDA foods, such as those offered in The Emergency Food 
Assistance Program, what we refer to as TEFAP, to build and distribute 
food boxes to families. And, of course, the Disaster SNAP that I made 
reference to. D-SNAP is one of many types of food assistance for 
disaster relief.
  The D-SNAP is a streamlined version of SNAP that provides temporary--
and that is important to understand--food assistance for households not 
currently receiving SNAP who are affected by a natural disaster. Areas 
with a Presidential designation of a major disaster with individual 
assistance are eligible to operate a D-SNAP. States have to request 
approval from FNS to operate a D-SNAP in such an area.
  The timing of the D-SNAP varies with the unique circumstances of each 
disaster, but always begins after the commercial channels of food 
distribution have been restored so eligible families can purchase and 
prepare food at home.
  D-SNAP programs are often paired with supplements for the ongoing 
caseload to bring their benefits up to a maximum amount.
  Finally, of the food assistance disaster programs, the final one, 
just briefly, and the eighth one, is infant formula and food. USDA, 
through FNS, can make emergency procurements of infant formula and 
foods for 96 hours after a Presidential declaration and upon request by 
FEMA or a State agency. With these State agencies, local supplies of 
these products and similar items provided in FEMA's infant and toddler 
kits are typically utilized first before FNS receives a request for 
these products.

  These are all examples of great programs. When American families are 
hit by these natural disasters to a significant level where 
Presidential declarations of natural disasters are declared, through 
the Agriculture Committee and mobilized through the United States 
Department of Agriculture, and the programs that we authorize under 
that agency, this is how neighbors help neighbors in need.
  Madam Speaker, I thought I would just touch briefly on a few of the 
programs, some of the experiences of how American families have been 
assisted through these programs, starting with August 25, 2017, with 
Hurricane Harvey, where it struck Texas.
  Madam Speaker, we are all familiar with the scenes as we watched the 
unparalleled, just Biblical proportions of rain, 5 feet of rain in just 
a number of days.
  Texas was provided through this program, Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program, or SNAP, a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program in 39 counties that were impacted by Hurricane 
Harvey. FNS also approved the State request to issue automatic 
supplements to ongoing SNAP households in 39 counties that

[[Page H8654]]

received a Presidential declaration of disaster for individual 
assistance. FNS approved the automatic issuance of 2 months of disaster 
supplement benefits.
  On September 1, FNS, USDA, approved a policy to provide States with 
flexibility to serve Hurricane Harvey evacuees, States that had chosen 
to either serve evacuees through expedited SNAP rule or through the 
simplified program rules in the evacuee policy, people who have 
relocated from their homes.
  Additionally, on September 1, they issued an automatic mass 
replacement of August SNAP benefits in 29 declared counties. These mass 
replacement benefits were issued to replace food that was purchased 
with August 2017 SNAP benefits but was all destroyed by the hurricanes, 
the rain, the flooding as a part of that natural disaster. That is just 
an example.
  Additionally, Texas received a hot foods extension notice. That 
allowed the State's hot foods waiver request to allow recipients to 
purchase hot foods and hot food products prepared for immediate 
consumption with their benefits at authorized SNAP retailers. As I 
mentioned before, that is normally not a part of the SNAP program, but, 
given the recognition, an incredibly important part of that.
  Another example of application with Hurricane Harvey in Texas, USDA, 
through FNS, approved Texas to operate a disaster household 
distribution program really to address immediate food needs. Packages 
containing USDA foods were distributed by local feeding organizations 
to over 23,000 households, beginning September 8, for up to 4 weeks.
  Then there was a partnership as well, Madam Speaker, where Texas and 
the Salvation Army used USDA foods to prepare and serve 100,000 meals 
to those in need.
  FNS informed Texas that it could use The Emergency Food Assistance 
Program, or TEFAP, USDA foods to provide meals at food pantries and 
food kitchens to people in need who couldn't reach larger disaster 
feeding organizations but who were able to gather at small local 
organizations. Those are just a few examples in Texas.
  Madam Speaker, I want to fast forward to probably a month or so 
later, October maybe, because disaster comes in all shapes and sizes, 
and some of the devastating wildfires that we had, specifically in 
California, also reaching into Oregon.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
LaMalfa). I am really pleased to be joined this evening by my good 
friend and colleague.
  Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania, 
Mr. Thompson, for yielding. I appreciate his efforts tonight in 
pointing out the nuances of the SNAP program and what it means in a 
disaster situation, such as what we have had all over the country in 
hurricanes, and even in my own backyard with the wildfires that we have 
been hearing about in the West in general, in my own district, where 
several have affected us very negatively, and adjacent areas of 
northern California and the wine country, indeed in southern California 
as well.
  So the flexibility that has been needed, as we found in the SNAP 
programs through what is known as D-SNAP, which is Disaster and 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, has been very helpful to 
many in northern California and even southern California counties as 
well.
  So when the California Department of Social Services requested the D-
SNAP to be put in place, the Food and Nutrition Service did, indeed, 
grant that in several instances, including October, and more so in 
northern California, but in other instances as well in this case, 
indeed, as Mr. Thompson so well explained earlier in tonight's Special 
Order.
  Due to power outages from the fires knocking out power, we have food 
loss and spoilage due to those power outages, as well as other 
instances, and even the ability for people to buy food. Maybe their 
home is okay, but they wouldn't have the markets available to them in 
their community to buy food that they need locally. So the D-SNAP 
program has given the flexibility and the ability to source it and have 
it available after these families have suffered losses, including the 
waiver for some folks who don't have the ability to produce and prepare 
hot food, where, in that case, families can have fairly normal meals in 
a time of crisis that is, indeed, a comfort for them and a positive 
that the flexibility of the program has made available for them.
  So, indeed, destroyed homes due to fire, the power outages that have 
extended to so many areas and for so long have, indeed, caused these 
crises for families here. The flexibility of this program, as Mr. 
Thompson has pointed out here tonight, has been very helpful in that 
time of disaster and relief that is needed, and the compassion that 
comes from people helping each other in these times and these instances 
where we have had so much volunteerism, people stepping forward to help 
others in times of crisis, but you need that little extra push 
sometimes that this program can be helpful for.
  So I appreciate the FNS stepping forward and approving what the 
California Department of Social Services has looked at as, indeed, 
worthy disaster relief that has been needed in these areas.

                              {time}  1900

  It wouldn't just apply to wildfires as well, where we have had so 
much hitting California this year, northern California especially. We 
had the issue of a possible flood and the crisis at Oroville Dam, when 
the spillway broke and 188,000 people had to be evacuated due to great 
concerns about additional failure of the dam.
  So the ability to have this available, should the timing be right, 
and the qualifications for it being deemed that type of disaster, 
indeed is a comfort for a community when basic needs like putting food 
on the table during crisis after a disaster come into play; whether it 
is fire, as was declared here, or it could be possible flood and 
evacuations, things of that nature, that make this a good part of an 
integral part of keeping a community fed and together.
  So I appreciate Mr. Thompson allowing me to speak here tonight and to 
be able to point out how this has worked in northern California during 
just this last month in these horrendous wildfire situations we have 
seen in so many counties. I thank the gentleman for leading this 
tonight and for his attention to this.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the 
gentleman's leadership on the Agriculture Committee.
  Really, I think sometimes we take for granted basic essentials, such 
as food. Normally, these programs are for people who are, for temporary 
reasons or economic reasons, unemployed, underemployed. We are trying 
to help give people a pathway to greater opportunity through job 
training and those types of things.
  But when disaster occurs, your life changes overnight. So I am very 
proud of the work that we do, of the fact that we are there for all of 
our neighbors in both rural and urban America; when they find 
themselves in a situation where they are dealing with loss of a home, 
or the loss of a place of employment, or delays of going to work, or 
schools being closed, that we really are in a position to be able--they 
shouldn't have to worry about that next warm meal.
  Natural disasters do come in all--we just talked a little bit about 
the wildfires. Certainly, Oregon also is a State that has been the 
scene of wildfires and, specifically, received FNS, disaster and 
nutrition assistance in the form of child nutrition programs, not just 
from the flames, but from the smoke, with advisories due to smoke 
advisories, qualifying air quality alerts, allowing for what we call 
non-congregate meal service, normally, through a summer food program, 
basically getting food out to those families, to those kids so that 
they are--you don't want to be traveling through that heavy smoke.
  We are all too familiar with another form of natural disaster, and 
that is hurricanes. We have citizens on a wonderful island, Puerto 
Rico, that was hit by not just one but two hurricanes in a short period 
of time, Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma.
  I am joined this evening by a friend and a colleague who represents 
all those many United States citizens living on the island of Puerto 
Rico, Miss

[[Page H8655]]

Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon. I thank the gentlewoman for joining us this 
evening.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss 
Gonzalez-Colon).
  Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. Madam Speaker, I thank the 
gentleman, my friend, for allowing me actually to speak about what is 
happening in terms of the USDA--the Department of Agriculture--and all 
the food programs on the island in terms of disaster, as the gentleman 
was explaining, how these programs work with the disaster.
  As we speak, Puerto Rico's still has 60 percent of the island without 
power. As we speak, less than 20 percent of our island is having actual 
running water, problems with communications.
  The first thing people will say is lack of electricity. They will say 
the lack of a proper home, when you have got more than 60,000 homes 
that just lost their roof or even are having a lot of damages.
  So in that regard, the nutritional assistance provided by the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture for disaster relief in Puerto Rico has been 
indispensable; it has been important. Actually, the continuous 
communication the Government of Puerto Rico is having with the 
Department of Agriculture has been the first time, I think, during a 
disaster in this magnitude.
  We are living the 49th day after the hurricane. To make matters 
worse, for most of our people, the lack of power and the lack of water 
is just a fraction of the issues. I mean, we have still got a lot of 
schools that haven't returned to impart classes. So that means that you 
have a lot of kids in their homes without going to school, and a lot of 
several structural damages in the homes, businesses, communities, all 
around the island. The amount of flooding, roads and bridges that got 
serious damage or lack functionality is staggering at this time. So the 
nutritional assistance was a concern since before the hurricanes.
  I need to say that I appreciate Secretary Perdue having a call with 
me and different conference calls regarding different programs. First 
of all, 9 of the 11 programs for disaster in the Department of 
Agriculture, in terms of the farmers, the territories, will never apply 
because we are not, in fact, allowed to apply. He made it happen. He 
used flexibility to allow Puerto Rico to access those programs in terms 
of the farmer disaster assistance, and I appreciate that.
  That happens also with the USDA programs. The USDA officials have 
been in contact directly, not just with my office, but with the 
Governor of Puerto Rico, with the local officials since early on when 
this problem was hitting the island. As a matter of fact, I was in 
touch today with them regarding a lot of the problems.
  I am also pleased with the inclusion of the disaster assistance for 
the Puerto Rican Nutrition Assistance Program in the second 
supplemental bill for the disaster relief that was approved here. 
However, we still need, of course, a lot of help. We still know that 
there is a long way to recover ahead of us.
  Most of the challenges we are facing now are because of the lack of 
power, the lack of electricity. Our people are struggling due to not 
having access to their nutritional assistance benefits because there 
are still many stores that remain without power and they cannot process 
the benefits through the electronic benefits system.

  If the benefits are not used, in the case of Puerto Rico, for a 60-
day period, they are going to be removed from individual accounts, and 
then returned to the Nutrition Assistance Program.
  So that is one of the issues we are still working with the 
Department: American citizens losing access to funds allocated for them 
to mitigate food necessities.
  I would like to encourage the Department of Agriculture to take these 
difficulties into consideration and explore more avenues for remedial 
action, because I know nobody expected an island or a territory to be, 
after 49 days, without power. My people are helpless against the lack 
of electricity, yet they stand to suffer greatly because of it.
  Additionally, the Government of Puerto Rico had to request two hot 
foods waivers to allow the purchase of hot foods using Nutrition 
Assistance Program benefits. The first one was graciously approved by 
the Secretary, and I hope the second one that has already been received 
will be also accommodated.
  Saying that, I want to thank personally Secretary Perdue and all the 
people working with FNS, USDA, and the Department of Agriculture, who 
have been visiting the island, dealing with farmers, dealing with the 
local officials. Of course, I just request that the agency remains 
sensitive to the challenges that 3.4 million American citizens are 
facing on the island. For that, I am thankful, I am grateful.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Thompson for allowing me to be 
here. I know this is not the first time that he is actually fighting 
for this. He has been a lone leader in that regard, and I want to join 
him in that effort.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I have to say it has 
been very impressive. In the middle of that hurricane, I know that I 
communicated with the gentlewoman by text, and she was what we call 
where I am from ``hunkered down.'' But she has been there for the 
people she represents every moment since. I mean, the gentlewoman was 
in the middle of that, and has been there, and has been reaching out 
and building relationships with individuals like Secretary Perdue and 
the staff from the Food and Nutrition Service, with USDA.
  I know we were just in a hearing--the gentlewoman and I serve 
together on the Natural Resources Committee--and talked a lot about the 
power disruption and how that certainly impacts nutrition, but it 
impacts quality of life and everything. We take it for granted. We take 
it for granted.
  So the gentlewoman's leadership to her constituents is just very 
impressive. They are fortunate to have her, and I am fortunate to be 
able to call her my friend.
  I think we do have a friend in terms of Secretary Sonny Perdue--a 
mutual friend. He and the staff at the Department of Agriculture are 
really committed to serving our citizens, serving our families. They 
have been so proactive in these overwhelming natural disasters that 
have gone from coast to coast, and in the Caribbean, and just 
everywhere we turned around, and they were absolutely devastating.
  So as someone who does serve on the Agriculture Committee, I take a 
lot of pride in the fact of seeing what we work on each and every day 
in terms of authorizing programs, to watch those get implemented and 
watch those really make a difference.
  The gentlewoman had mentioned the hot food waiver, the first one 
being approved through October, November. With the power being out, I 
certainly would support the gentlewoman's request made to the 
Department of Agriculture to continue that. That is not something we 
normally do.
  As I explained, we all know that normally, under SNAP, in particular, 
it is food that we purchase, and then take it home and prepare it. But 
if you are without electricity, that is pretty tough to do.
  Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. It is difficult. I just rode out 
the hurricane down there. We never expect to experience something like 
this.
  So this kind of program, the disaster program, is very important not 
just for territories, but for States. You will never know when 
something like this will happen to you.
  The gentleman is thanking me, but you know what? I am receiving all 
these opportunities and help because I count on people like him to 
actually help me out, reaching the agencies, doing the amendments, and 
the votes that are needed to approve that kind of relief bill that was 
here. I couldn't vote for that. Even though I represent 3.4 million 
American citizens, I could not vote, but the gentleman did. So this is 
a team effort, and there is a long way to recover. I hope it is going 
to end here.
  Again, I thank the gentleman for all he has been doing in the 
committee--in both committees, actually. I know we can, as a team, work 
out so the people of Puerto Rico may recover soon.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, can I inquire as to how 
much time remains?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Pennsylvania has 19 
minutes remaining.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I just want to mention--
because I think we have talked

[[Page H8656]]

about the wildfires in California and Oregon. We have heard about the 
terrible--the one-two punch, actually, in Puerto Rico with Hurricanes 
Maria and Irma, and how these programs are stepped up.
  I want to certainly touch on the other parts of our country where 
American citizens have been impacted as well.

                              {time}  1915

  While we are talking about Hurricane Maria, I think it is very 
important to talk about our U.S. citizens who live on the United States 
Virgin Islands.
  This is an area as well where we have been able to mobilize under the 
authority of the work that we do, and in the Agriculture Committee 
through USDA. For the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services, we 
are able to receive a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
Program as well, in the districts of St. Croix, St. John, and St. 
Thomas.
  This is obviously an island that has been devastated by Hurricane 
Maria. It makes it very difficult to deploy resources, especially in 
the interior of islands, but I really appreciate how the administration 
proactively anticipated the disaster was going to occur and staged 
resources.
  As a former EMT, firefighter, and rescue technician, really to be 
able to pre-deploy, to be able to serve those American families--they 
were in a very difficult situation, and including the work of the 
tremendous staff at the Department of Agriculture, and the food and 
nutrition service, and Under Secretary Perdue's leadership, to be able 
to serve these citizens, that is an ongoing effort.
  There is no doubt about that. Numerous aspects of our food assistance 
for disaster relief were deployed there, and we just really appreciate 
the efforts.
  In the southeastern United States, actually in addition to Texas and 
in southwestern Louisiana as well, families and individuals in 
Louisiana felt the impact of Hurricane Harvey. They received a waiver 
to allow distribution in August of the Commodity Supplemental Food 
Program which are food packages that were distributed in 2017, and they 
were provided in an August food package, and a September food package. 
So there was assistance under Disaster SNAP as well there. That was 
Hurricane Harvey.
  As we have heard already about Hurricane Irma, the tremendous damage 
that was done impacted individuals and families in both Florida and 
Georgia where we saw the supplemental assistance program, or D-SNAP, 
that was provided to eligible households. Some of the affected counties 
were able to receive 2 months of benefits to meet their food needs 
while they settled back home following the disaster.
  FNS also approved an extension of the States' hot foods waiver, as 
you heard about earlier. Those waivers are an important part of what we 
can do to help people's lives be better immediately following and 
during the transition time for a temporary period of time following 
disasters. On September 14, FNS approved a request to begin disaster 
household distribution of 25 to 30 pounds of USDA food packages in 
those Presidentially declared disaster areas in Florida for a period of 
up to 4 weeks.
  On September 22, several flexibilities requested by the Florida 
Department of Health were approved to assist schools and childcare 
centers, and sponsor organizations that were operating the Child Care 
Food Program, or CCFP, and those approvals applied to all 67 counties.
  Of course, as we mentioned, that same disaster incident in the State 
of Georgia that was impacted has served families there, and individuals 
have been served by these programs. FNS approved the State's request to 
issue an automatic mass replacement of 45 percent of the September 2017 
SNAP benefits because of food that was damaged, lost, contaminated, and 
needed to be replaced in 71 counties in Georgia that were destroyed due 
to the disaster.
  FNS approved the State's request to extend the time period households 
had to report food losses through individual affidavits, giving that 
flexibility as a part of the process as well, as well as waivers 
applied to schools and residential care institutions that operated 
under the nutritional assistance programs.
  Madam Speaker, these are just a few of the examples. We have heard a 
lot about disasters. We continue to hear about them. We have great 
first responders. We have resources, our military, our National Guard. 
All kinds of contractual resources have been deployed by the Federal 
Government, State governments, and territorial governments. Among those 
are these nutrition programs.
  As we prepare to reauthorize the farm bill and to do that here, 
hopefully, by the end of this year, or the very beginning of next year, 
I think it is important to take the time to really understand what a 
difference these nutritional programs can make in the lives of average-
day Americans who are facing extraordinary challenges and events in 
their life.
  Again, the nutrition programs are normally about serving those who 
find themselves temporarily in economically challenging situations with 
the loss of employment, or underemployment, frequently because of no 
fault of their own. And this supplemental nutrition assistance is to 
help them get by. We are also trying to work to make sure we provide 
some pathways to greater opportunity for those who perhaps would 
benefit from what I like to call skills-based education to help them 
get a better job and more resources for the family, to be able to take 
care of these needs independently on their own.
  But there are individuals who find themselves chronically in need, 
perhaps, because of a significant disability, who need to be able to 
know that those programs are there, and to rely on them. Then there is 
another group that we have talked about this evening, those who wake up 
one morning or in the middle of the night and find that their lives 
have changed dramatically, at least for the time being, because of 
national disasters.
  Madam Chair, I really appreciate the opportunity to be able to speak 
on these issues, and I was very pleased to be joined by a couple of my 
colleagues this evening.
  Once again, under general leave, I am going to be submitting some 
comments by the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Mike Conaway, 
who has done a great job of leading the Agriculture Committee, as well 
as Jim McGovern, who is a good friend and very passionate about 
nutrition programs.
  He has a long record of service in this area, and he and I lead--he 
is the ranking member--the Nutrition Subcommittee.
  Madam Chair, I am grateful for the opportunity to be here and to 
raise these issues this evening, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening to acknowledge the 
response of our communities and Federal agencies to the recent 
hurricanes and wildfires. I would like to first offer my thoughts and 
prayers to families affected by these tragedies.
  The USDA and FNS play a vital role in providing supplemental 
nutrition assistance when disasters occur by coordinating with State, 
local, and voluntary organizations. Nothing is more important that 
providing food when people find themselves suddenly, and often 
critically, in need following disaster-related emergencies.
  FNS has worked tirelessly to provide nutrition assistance to those 
affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, as well as the Western 
Wildfires. Our fellow citizens in Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, 
Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, California, and Oregon have 
received assistance including automatic mass replacement of benefits, 
D-SNAP, free school meals, and waivers, ultimately ensuring people have 
enough to eat in their time of need.
  As Secretary Perdue has said, each disaster situation is unique. The 
USDA and FNS have demonstrated their ability to respond to each of 
these unique situations in a timely and effective way.
  The challenges facing our communities ravaged by hurricanes and 
wildfires are unprecedented. Getting food on the table in a timely 
manner should not be an additional challenge. I want to recognize the 
fortitude of our fellow citizens as they come together to rebuild after 
such devastation as well as acknowledge the USDA's diligence in 
addressing the nutrition-related needs of our fellow citizens.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
Program--

[[Page H8657]]

known as SNAP--provides modest food assistance benefits to families in 
need. The program helps to alleviate hunger, reduce poverty, and 
improve nutrition across our country on an ongoing basis.
  SNAP is also designed to help families put food on the table when 
disaster strikes. In response to recent hurricanes, fires, floods, and 
storms, officials at the United States Department of Agriculture's Food 
and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) have worked with other federal and 
state emergency response agencies to ensure those impacted by disasters 
have access to food.
  Flexibilities in SNAP, for example, allow states to issue SNAP 
benefits early to ensure recipients can stock up on food before a 
disaster hits.
  In many cases, SNAP recipients impacted by disaster and power outages 
are able to request additional benefits to replace food they lost, and 
in certain circumstances, are able to use their SNAP benefits to 
purchase hot foods if they lost power and are unable to cook.
  Disaster SNAP, known as D-SNAP, is a key feature of the program that 
provides nutrition assistance benefits to families in major disaster 
areas who aren't currently receiving benefits. Importantly, D-SNAP also 
provides families currently enrolled in SNAP with supplemental benefits 
to help them get by in the wake of disaster.
  In addition to SNAP, other federal anti-hunger safety net programs 
like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and 
Children (WIC), child nutrition programs, and Disaster Household 
Distribution (DHD) come to the aid of those recovering from disaster.
  For example, schools in areas affected by disaster can provide meals 
to all kids at no charge and can be more flexible in where and when 
they serve meals.
  DHD is another program to allow food banks and other organizations to 
distribute emergency food boxes filled with nutritious food to people 
that don't have access to feeding sites or grocery stores in the 
aftermath of disaster.
  Madam Speaker, when disasters hit the United States--and its 
territories--it is imperative that our government effectively and 
efficiently helps those impacted by these terrible tragedies.
  SNAP and our other nutrition programs are a key component of disaster 
response efforts, providing food to families in need. In the aftermath 
of recent tragedies that devastated Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin 
Islands, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, California, and Oregon, 
USDA was able to respond.
  I'd like to thank my friend and colleague on the Agriculture 
Committee, the Chairman of the Nutrition Subcommittee, Mr. GT Thompson, 
for raising awareness about nutrition assistance in times of disaster.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to join us in recognizing how 
powerful and effective SNAP and other nutrition programs are in 
responding to natural disasters. We must work to protect these programs 
from cuts or structural changes that threaten the ability of these 
programs to help families in need.

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