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Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012

Floor Speech

Date: June 19, 2012
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Entitlements and the Safety Net Agriculture and Food

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Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Let me be clear, Mr. President, about what this amendment does and does not do. This amendment does not extend or expand the Food Stamp Program. It provides the exact same benefits families are receiving today.

Half of the food stamp beneficiaries are children, 17 percent are seniors, and, unfortunately, now 1.5 million households are veteran households that are receiving food stamps.

This amendment does not take a penny from our farmers. These cuts are not about waste, fraud, and abuse. According to CBO, it is $90 a month from these families' kitchen tables.

We all here in this Chamber take the ability to feed our children for granted. That is not the case for too many families in America. Put yourselves for just a moment in their shoes. Imagine being a parent who cannot feed your children the food they need to grow. It is beneath this body to cut food assistance for those who are struggling the most among us.

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