Senator Clinton Calls Upon Agriculture Committee to Reverse Bush Action to Cut Critical Food Stamp Program

Senator Clinton Calls Upon Agriculture Committee to Reverse Bush Action to Cut Critical Food Stamp Program

Says Cut is Another Example of Administration's Misplaced Priorities

In a letter to Agriculture Committee Chairman Saxby Chambliss and Ranking Member Tom Harkin today, Senator Clinton urged the Committee to restore the Administration's devastating cut to the critical food stamp program.

Noting that more than 1.4 million New Yorkers rely on the food stamp program, Senator Clinton stated in her letter that, "cutting food stamps in a time of economic and natural disaster would be immoral and irresponsible." (Full text of letter below)

The Republican reconciliation package, which includes the drastic cuts to the food stamp program are just the latest example of this Administration's misplaced priorities. While this reconciliation package makes severe cuts to programs that are a lifeline to our nation's most vulnerable citizens, such as the $10 billion cut to Medicaid, $7 billion from student loan programs and child nutrition programs, and harsh cuts to food stamp recipients, it remarkably includes an additional $70 billion of deficit financed tax cuts which will likely benefit the wealthiest citizens.

"The choices that this budget makes are clear. Under the guise of fiscal responsibility, it literally finances new tax breaks on the backs of the most vulnerable people in our society through shortchanging these safety net programs," Senator Clinton stated.

October 5th, 2005

The Honorable Saxby Chambliss
Chairman
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
SR-328 A
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Tom Harkin
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition and Forestry
SR-328 A
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Chairman Chambliss and Ranking Member Harkin:

I write today to urge you to protect the Food Stamp Program during the reconciliation process from detrimental cuts or structural changes that would undermine the program's ability to assist low-income Americans.

As you know, the Food Stamp Program plays a critical role in fighting hunger and ameliorating poverty in both our urban and rural communities. This program provides critical resources to millions of low-income families with children, seniors and individuals with disabilities. In addition, hundreds of thousands of displaced evacuees are currently in need of critical food assistance due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As the nation works to recover and rebuild from these devastating natural disasters, the widespread need for increased assistance demands that Federal Government food relief efforts be expanded, not cut.

The President's proposed cuts to the Food Stamp Program would result in cutting more than 300,000 people off the program in an average month. Low income working families with children would be impacted the most. Cutting food stamps in a time of economic and natural disaster would be immoral and irresponsible.

Despite the dire fiscal situation we currently face, the Federal Government cannot afford to make devastating cuts to programs that are a lifeline to our nation's most vulnerable citizens. The great irony is that the savings from cutting critical food assistance programs will do little, if anything, to bring the deficit under control. Giving in to the Administration's proposed cuts in this area is a decision to shortchange the safety net programs that protect our nation's poorest children and families. It also turns a blind eye to the real challenges facing our nation and fails to reflect the moral and societal values that make our nation great.

I appreciate your careful consideration of these issues and look forward to working with you on these matters.

Sincerely,

http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=246967&&