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Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013

Floor Speech

Date: June 19, 2013
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Trade

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Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

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Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I rise today to speak in support of my amendment to officially end the agreement between the USDA and the Mexican Government known as the Partnership for Nutrition Assistance Initiative.

Now, this partnership began back in 2004, but it has greatly expanded under the Obama administration. It's an aggressive outreach program funded by

U.S. taxpayer dollars which promotes SNAP enrollment in targeted communities by partnering with Mexican Government officials to hold meetings, health fairs, and coordinate other outreach initiatives designed to bring working-class families into public assistance and dependence programs.

Not only is this an ill-conceived partnership with Mexico promoting a life of dependency rather than upward mobility, there is no reason to believe that the Obama administration isn't just using this partnership as a way to get illegal immigrants enrolled in the SNAP program.

This current partnership is among the most egregious examples of policies contributing to the 46 percent expansion in SNAP recipients under the Obama administration, and it must stop now.

My amendment today is an opportunity for Congress to be good stewards of our taxpayer dollars, our hardworking taxpayer dollars, and to get the U.S. Government out of the business of promoting dependence.

I urge my colleagues today to vote in support of my amendment to terminate this partnership with the Mexican Government. Let's stop this blatant misuse of the taxpayer dollars so that SNAP is there for those who have fallen on hard times and truly need temporary assistance, not for exploitation by foreign governments.

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Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Chairman, this is so important that we are assured that our hardworking taxpayer dollars are used for those that are the most in need, as a safety net, and not to be given to foreign governments. And so I ask support for this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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