Congressman Jim McGovern's Statement on the Farm Bill

Statement

Mr. Speaker,

Last year, the House did its job and passed a fully funded Farm Bill with important improvements in the Food Stamp and TEFAP programs. The Senate, unfortunately, was not so responsible.

Now that the Farm Bill negotiations are underway, we hear that reducing funding for Food Stamps and food banks is on the table.

This Farm Bill should not be negotiated on the backs of the hungry. Feeding hungry people is never wrong, but taking food out of their mouths is. And that's what a reduction in the House-passed domestic nutrition title would do.

M. Speaker, we must draw a line in the sand and say enough-is-enough. House Farm Bill negotiators must stand up to the Senate and say "not this time."

The recently-passed stimulus package does not include Food Stamp provisions, even though bipartisan groups of economists agree that Food Stamps are one of the best ways to stimulate the economy.

And now Food Stamps may be cut below the House-passed levels? We can and must do better.

I ask unanimous consent to insert a letter signed by153 Democrats to Chairman Peterson, urging him to hold the line and insist on the House-passed nutrition title in his negotiations, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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