[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2349-2350]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     MILITARY FAMILY FOOD STAMP ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, recently the Center for 
Strategic and International Studies issued a report last month on the 
American Military Culture in the 21st Century.
  In its research, the Center surveyed 12,500 military personnel and 
found that within the armed services, morale is declining.
  The report summarizes, and I quote, ``Every member of the CSIS team 
who visited our men and women in uniform was impressed by their skill, 
dedication, and patriotism. When CSIS asked

[[Page 2350]]

military personnel about their life in their services and their units, 
however, they often found disappointment and frustration. In spite of 
the high level of pride and commitment, our dedicated people in uniform 
did not typically have high morale and revealed far less satisfaction 
from their service than one would expect. Overall, the armed forces are 
overcommitted, underpaid, and undersourced in the units that form their 
cutting edge. Expectations for a satisfying military career are not 
being met.''
  Mr. Speaker, that is the reason I am on the floor again. I bring my 
family to the floor because we have 60 percent of men and women in 
uniform who are married. In addition, we have approximately 10,000 men 
and women in uniform on food stamps.
  Mr. Speaker, I think this is deplorable. The reason I say that is 
because no one that is willing to give their life for this country 
should be dependent on food stamps. My colleagues can see that this 
Marine, who is getting ready to deploy to Bosnia, has his daughter 
Magan standing on his feet. She is looking at the camera. In his arms, 
he has a 4-month-old baby named Britney.
  Mr. Speaker, this Marine represents everyone in uniform that is 
willing to give for this country. Again, I say it is unacceptable and 
deplorable that men and women in uniform are dependent on food stamps.
  I introduced, this past year, H.R. 1055. It is signed by about 90 
Members of Congress, both Democrat and Republican, that would give a 
$500 tax credit to men and women in uniform who are dependent on food 
stamps. My purpose in saying that is that I do not know that that is 
the answer or not, but it is a vehicle to find an answer to help those 
on food stamps in the military.
  I look at this photograph, and I look in the eyes of the little girl. 
She is looking, and in her eyes you can tell she does not know if her 
daddy will be coming back or not. Hopefully, we pray that all men and 
women in uniform will be coming back when they are deployed. But there 
is no guarantee.
  So, again, I say to the Republican leadership, I say to the 
Democratic leadership, please, before this session ends in September, 
October this year, let us pass legislation to help the men and women in 
uniform that are on food stamps, because, again, this country is the 
safe Nation that it is because we have dedicated men and women in 
uniform that are willing to die for America. Let us not, as a Congress, 
let us not as a government, allow anyone serving this Nation to be on 
food stamps.

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