Providing for Consideration of H.R. 1947, Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013

Floor Speech

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Mr. DEUTCH. I thank my friend from Massachusetts.

I would like to just highlight a point that the gentleman just made that my friend from Texas and everyone understands, which is that, of course, SNAP payments increased during the recession. It is supplemental nutrition, and it's that supplemental nutrition assistance that kept people out of poverty.

The majority ruled out of order my amendment to the FARRM Bill, which would ensure families relying on SNAP could skip fewer meals and buy healthier food. Contrary to my colleagues' claims, SNAP is not too generous, and processed food from the dollar store can't replace fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and the protein needed in a healthy diet.

So, as the Republican majority prepares to vote to kick 2 million Americans off of SNAP, let's remember what they are not voting for, what they are not voting for today and what they have not voted for on one single day in this Congress:

The GOP is not voting for jobs; they are not voting to raise the minimum wage so that full-time workers can actually feed their kids without SNAP; they are not voting to invest in education so that children have a better shot at success; they are not voting to create new jobs by investing in new ports and new bridges and new roads. In short, my friends on the other side of the aisle are not voting to reduce poverty; they are not voting to reduce hunger; they are not voting to build an economy in which working families can get ahead and don't have to scrape by on SNAP benefits.

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Mr. DEUTCH. What's the Democratic plan for reducing SNAP spending? Create jobs, build the economy, and stop punishing poor people.

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