[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8885]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ENSURING FOOD SECURITY

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I represent the San Joaquin Valley of 
California where our business is growing healthy, safe foods. It's the 
breadbasket of America.
  But even in our agriculturally rich region, many of the same families 
who labor to produce these crops struggle to feed their children. This 
is part of the tragedy of hunger in America.
  I have witnessed firsthand the challenges these families face living 
on the average SNAP benefit, which is $4.50 per day.
  While I am a strong supporter of passing a farm bill, I have serious 
concerns about what the proposed cuts mean for 16.2 million children 
nationwide who are faced with hunger. We must and we can do better. I 
hope we pass the farm bill in the House next week. And if so, I will be 
fighting to make sure that these children have a seat at the table when 
we go to conference with the Senate.
  Budget choices are a reflection of our priorities. In a time of such 
economic hardship, we can and we must make sure that those most 
vulnerable in our society are fed properly.

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