[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 155 (Wednesday, September 25, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1205-E1206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 24, 2019

  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, in July, the Trump 
administration published a proposed change to the broad-based 
categorical eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
Program. This change is a bad idea and would severely hurt working 
families and children in my district and across this country.
  North Texas has a major issue of food insecurity. More than one in 
six residents in Dallas Country are not certain where their next meal 
will come from. Over 20 percent of children in North Texas are food 
insecure, many of which rely on free or reduced lunch as well to ensure 
they can feed their mind in the classroom rather than worrying about 
filling their stomachs. This change would make it even harder on 
children and working parents in North Texas to have access to healthy 
foods. It would put them one step closer to total calamity.
  Hunger has always been an important issue to me. Earlier this month, 
many organizations came together for the 8th Annual Dallas Hunger 
Summit to discuss how they can work together in ensuring that working 
families across North Texas have access to healthy foods. Organizations 
such as the Texas Hunger Initiative and the North Texas Food Bank have 
participated in this summit for years and have been valuable resources 
as we fight each day to have fewer of our neighbors deal with hunger. 
With this change, thousands of additional working families in North 
Texas would be forced to rely on the services of these organizations 
due to this administration's heartless policies.
  Simply put. These changes to the broad-based categorical eligibility 
for SNAP strips food off the table of hard-working families. It makes 
it harder for organizations such as food

[[Page E1206]]

pantries and charities to meet the increased utilization of their 
programs. Most offensive of all, this program, a program designed to 
help families get on their feet and move out of poverty and up the 
economic scale, is being changed simply so that this administration can 
leave more people behind.
  Madam Speaker, I urge the Trump Administration to carefully 
reevaluate their policies towards working families and immediately 
rescind this terrible policy change.

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