[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11077-11078]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

  (Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the deep cuts proposed 
to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
  The SNAP program provides low-income families, our disableds, and our 
elderly essential access to healthy foods. We should not ask our most 
vulnerable citizens to go hungry to balance the Federal budget. A cut 
of $16 billion in SNAP benefits will not achieve that balanced budget.
  SNAP benefits not only provide needed nutritional support to 
recipients; they support local economies and our farm operations by 
boosting sales of fresh fruit and vegetables at farmers

[[Page 11078]]

markets and local grocery stores. Our Nation's farmers and ranchers 
produce high-quality abundant foods in a system that is the envy of the 
world.
  There is no reason for anyone to go hungry in the United States. 
Let's produce a food and farm bill that each day gives farmers a fair 
deal and ensures all of our citizens nutritious meals.

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