The Examiner - Representatives Speak Out Against Food Aid Cuts

News Article

By William Lambers

Members of the Senate and House are speaking out against proposed cuts in food aid that have been introduced in the Farm Bill legislation.

Senator Sherrod Brown (OH) authored an amendment for the Senate discussion of the 2013 Farm Bill, which would provide much needed support to the nation's food banks.

Brown's amendment specifically would increase funding for the Federal Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which supplies food banks all across the country.

Food banks depend on public donations and federal support. However, TEFAP supplies have gone down in recent years, while demand for food aid has increased. There are over 50 million Americans who suffer from hunger.

Senator Brown says, "The farm bill is a disaster assistance bill for farmers, but also for families who are grappling with poverty, unemployment and declining wages. While agriculture and food services is our state's largest industry, more than two million Ohioans required assistance from food banks last year. This amendment restores commonsense funding levels -- passed with strong bipartisan support -- for efforts that help the neediest Americans."

Representative Betty McCollum (MN), spoke out against potential cuts to the food stamps program (SNAP). McCollum stated, "Children will go to school hungry -- to bed hungry. Seniors who built our country will worry about where they will get their next meal. A person with a disability will be more vulnerable when this cut denies them food. And making it more difficult for Americans living on less than $800 a month to purchase nutritious food is not what we were elected to do. "

McCollum added, "In the United States, the wealthiest nation in the world, this cut is simply unconscionable."

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