[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 84 (Monday, May 19, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H2111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SUPPORTING RECONCILIATION

  (Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania was recognized to address the House for 
5 minutes.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of the reconciliation measure favorably reported by the House 
Committee on Agriculture.
  This legislation is critical. It prevents the largest tax increase in 
American history from hitting our families, farmers, and small 
businesses. It also provides essential funding for the Trump 
administration to continue its work to keep our Nation safe.
  This bill addresses two major responsibilities: Restoring integrity 
to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, 
and making meaningful investments in American agriculture.
  SNAP is a vital safety net, but it must function as Congress 
intended, which is as a temporary bridge for those in need, not a 
permanent system of dependency.
  Since 2019, SNAP spending has jumped from $60 billion to $110 billion 
a year, while enrollment has grown from 36 million to 42 million. Yet 
despite low unemployment and over 7 million job openings in our Nation, 
fewer than one-third of able-bodied adults required to work under SNAP 
are earning income.
  Work requirements, once a bipartisan standard, have been sidestepped 
by executive actions and State waivers. Nearly 40 percent of recipients 
subject to work rules now live under waivers. That is not how the 
program was designed to function.
  States are mismanaging the program to the tune of nearly $13 billion 
annually in erroneous payments. That is up nearly 100 percent since 
2019. Worse yet, most States are out of compliance with basic 
application timelines, forcing vulnerable families to wait months for 
help.
  Our measures correct course. It aligns SNAP with other State-
administered benefit programs, requiring States to share in a minimal 
portion of program costs, encouraging better stewardship, fewer errors, 
and more timely service. Most importantly, it reinstates work as a 
pathway to independence and opportunity.
  Madam Speaker, success should be measured by outcomes, not outlays. 
An efficiently delivered benefit that encourages work is a win for both 
the taxpayer and the recipient.
  Since the 2018 farm bill, agriculture producers have faced soaring 
input costs, declining prices, and mounting debt. By the end of last 
year, the farm debt hit its highest level in over 50 years. The 
Agriculture and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M says the outlook for 
farm profitability is the worst in its 42-year history of analysis.
  Our producers, from livestock to specialty crops, struggle with 
volatile markets, labor shortages, and growing regulatory burdens. If 
Congress fails to act, we risk a full-blown crisis in our food and 
agriculture economy.
  This bill delivers targeted, meaningful investment in farm safety 
nets and rural development. It supports research, trade promotion, and 
critical infrastructure. It reflects bipartisan priorities from every 
corner of this Chamber.
  This bill restores the integrity of SNAP, strengthens every link in 
the agricultural chain, and puts rural America back at the center of 
our policy agenda where it belongs.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud of this legislation, and I urge my 
colleagues to support it.

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