[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H3585-H3586]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Arrington) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman, my colleague, 
Democratic colleague, for his comments and his personal testimony, and 
I respect his dad and the heritage of work that he left for his son.
  I am on the Agriculture Committee, and I have got to say I am 
confused, I am perplexed, and, quite frankly, I am outraged in many 
ways with some of my colleagues' comments about work and the work 
requirements that we are putting in the Food Stamp program. This 
doesn't have anything to do about children, about disabled people, 
about the elderly. This is about requiring people who are able-bodied 
to work who aren't working.
  We are long overdue for reforms in this country. We are long overdue 
to have policies in place that encourage work. We want people to have 
the blessing and dignity of work. We want people to fulfill their God-
given potential. We want them to contribute to society.
  We have 6 million jobs, surplus jobs. We want folks to make the best 
out of the life that God has given them for their communities, for 
their families, for themselves.
  This is unbelievable in the United States of America. We are asking 
that, if you receive assistance from hardworking, taxpaying Americans, 
you would just work 20 hours a week or volunteer or be trained to work. 
That is all we are asking.
  I see hardworking people throughout the gallery, and I bet you they 
feel the same way. I have seen the polls. Over 80 percent of the people 
in this country say more people need to work and pay taxes and 
contribute to this great country.
  I believe in the safety net. I believe in compassion. I believe that 
is the heart of God, and I think it should be reflected in our 
policies. But God also expects personal responsibility, and He expects 
us to have responsible policies that pull people up and out of a cycle 
of dependency and poverty. That is not compassion; that is not decency; 
and that is not common sense.
  So I support this farm bill, and I appreciate the tone, I really do, 
of my colleague. He is a gentleman, I can tell. I don't even know him, 
but I can tell he is a gentleman and a statesman, but I cannot listen 
to folks who, in my opinion, are scaring folks in the public and my 
colleagues who are on the Agriculture Committee and here in the House 
from not voting to make responsible, reasonable, compassionate, and 
commonsense reforms to food stamps.
  We need to do that in every government assistance program. We need to 
pull people out of the welfare trap, and we need to equip them and 
encourage them and support them to be the best that they can be.
  I don't know how much time I have left, Mr. Speaker, but I want to 
also comment on some fellow west Texans who are here in town to compete 
for the 2018 National Science Bowl.
  This week, Lubbock High School will join select schools across the 
country who earned the opportunity to compete at the national finals. I 
want to thank the Department of Energy and my fellow Texan, Secretary 
Rick Perry, for sponsoring this important competition.
  The students from Lubbock competing in this tournament are part of a 
national effort to ensure America continues to lead the way in science 
and remains the laboratory of innovation in the entire world. That is 
the greatness of American innovation.
  We want this generation to discover the cure to cancer, to solve the 
challenges of cybersecurity, and to push the boundaries of outer space.

[[Page H3586]]

  These students' commitment to science is impressive, and I am 
confident that their generation will propel us to new heights of 
discovery that will improve the quality of life for all humanity.
  Congratulations again to Lubbock High School and to all the schools 
competing in the tournament.
  Go Westerners.
  Mr. Speaker, as I conclude, I thank Chairman Conaway and the 
leadership of the Ag Committee for providing the safety net so that we 
can feed and clothe the American people, so that we can make important 
investments in rural infrastructure for sustainable small towns, the 
heartbeat of this country, so that we can continue to be the leader in 
agriculture innovation and technology development, and so we can make 
the compassionate reforms to food stamps.
  God bless America.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
references to occupants of the gallery.

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