[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15864]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
                  NEW YORK STATE HUNGER ACTION NETWORK

  (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 draw attention to families 
across this country going without or simply scraping by as we enter the 
holiday season.
  Food pantries and organizations like the Hunger Action Network of New 
York State do a great deal to care for our neighbors who are cold, 
hungry, or homeless--but they cannot do it alone. These organizations 
need Washington's help, and the people these organizations care for 
need it even more.
  A uniquely American tradition is helping those in need. In my 
congressional district, one in 10 households lives below the poverty 
line. These families live each day with struggles that are reflected 
across our great Nation. These struggles can be fixed by a Congress 
that pursues policies that ensure a livable wage, that supports 
programs that help the less fortunate, and that invests in job creation 
instead of in cuts to critical programs like SNAP.
  It is my hope that this House will work together more than it has in 
recent years to make progress for all Americans, especially for those 
whom this Chamber seems to have forgotten about. We do not need to wait 
for the next Congress to take action. I can think of no better time 
than this holiday season to make progress on these critical issues.

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