[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 81 (Thursday, May 17, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H4148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CONGRESS SHOULD NOT LET PEOPLE GO HUNGRY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Speier) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues have a point. It is 
really terrible that some people take advantage of free food and drink 
to continue their slothful lifestyles. I agree. This conduct must stop.
  Of course, Members of Congress can attend lunches and receptions with 
free food and drink every single day, sleep on the taxpayer's dime in 
their offices, and have the taxpayers do their laundry, too.
  The House has been in session for a measly 50 days this year, and I 
have compiled at least 54 receptions, which is just the tip of the 
iceberg of free food and drink available to Members.
  But even estimating a modest $10 for a glass of wine and a plate of 
appetizers, that means that a Member who attends a reception every 
night the House is in session, has received a benefit of over $500 just 
since the beginning of this year.
  That is about the same amount of money as the maximum monthly food 
stamp benefit for a family of three, except Congress Members are 
nibbling on pork sliders, and French Brie, and pate, while these poor 
families are expected to feed each family member three meals a day for 
30 days. That breaks down to about $5.60 for each meal, or about $1.87 
per person per meal.
  Now, I am sure none of my colleagues would think that they are better 
than working people who struggle to keep a roof over their heads and 
food on their tables. And I am sure all of us are happy to be subject 
to the same rules that we vote on in this Chamber. So here is my modest 
proposal: The congressional electronic benefits transfer card, or 
congressional food stamp card. We will put a little cash in it--say 
$1.87 per reception--and Members can figure out how to make their 
monthly reception budget stretch to fit their wining-and-dining needs.
  Maybe we will have Members carrying their single glass of wine from 
one reception to another, or maybe they will blow their whole allotment 
on one plate of shrimp, or maybe--just maybe--we will see more Members 
of Congress showing empathy for the most vulnerable in our society.
  Now, to be clear, there is nothing wrong with private organizations 
spending their own money on outreach to Members of Congress. I have 
certainly attended my share of receptions, as has everyone else here. 
But what is truly repellent in this debate, is the rank hypocrisy.
  Here we sit, we get paid $174,000 a year to work 4 days a week here 
at the U.S. Capitol, and we are considering a bill that would take food 
assistance away from millions of Americans. Members of Congress can 
literally walk down the hall for free appetizers any time of the day or 
the week.
  Yet, Republicans are proposing to deny 265,000 children school meals. 
Congress can't pass an infrastructure bill or DACA, but we can debate a 
bureaucratic and ineffective work requirement for people struggling 
with hunger.
  Perhaps if my colleagues ran out of funds on their congressional food 
stamp card and got a bit peckish, they would remember that in one of 
the richest countries in the world, we should not let people go hungry. 
Period.
  How can we be debating on whether to starve children whose parents 
are struggling with low-paying or unstable jobs? You know what should 
be an unstable job? Giving corporations $2 trillion in tax cuts while 
slashing basic food assistance to 20 million children, 5 million 
seniors, and 1 million veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this disgusting 
bill. And for those who don't, I will pray that you regret every bite 
of free shrimp cocktail and every sip of free wine.

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