Congressman Tim Ryan Blasts Cuts to Food Programs to Women, Infants, Seniors

Statement

Today, the House will vote on H.R. 2112, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bill proposes draconian cuts to the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. In response to these proposed cuts, Congressman Tim Ryan issued the following statement.

"These cuts harm women, children, and seniors," said Ryan. "While we need to start deficit reduction and makes cuts across the board, efforts like this to disproportionately balance the budget on the backs of the poor are wrong. The Republicans in Congress raised our national debt through the roof with two wars while giving tax breaks to Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. Now the bill is due and House Republicans are doing everything they can to avoid responsibility, including trying to end the Medicare program as we know it so they can give increased tax breaks for the wealthiest individuals and most profitable oil companies. With any deficit reduction measures, there must be shared sacrifice.

This bill makes deep cuts and drops funding below 2008 levels for programs that help provide food to poor women, infants, and seniors. Americans are still struggling to find work -- until they do, we must do everything we can to create jobs and help people keep food on their tables."

H.R. 2112 appropriates $17.25 billion for the Agriculture Department and related agencies and programs. This funding level is 23% below President Obama's request for fiscal year 2012, 14% below the current level for 2011, and is even below 2008 levels.

This bill also slashes 21% from the Commodity Supplemental Food Program which provides food assistance to low-income seniors. Additionally, the bill includes dramatic cuts to the WIC program which provides healthcare and food assistance to predominantly low-income pregnant women and infants under the age of 5.

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