I just want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for these series of hearings, because this is a very, very, very, very important subject that this Committee grapples with.

I just don't see it. Maybe somebody can clear up for me why in the world is the Department of Agriculture doing this, and putting such hardship on the small retail business community, and on the very American people that need this service…

this rule by the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service is impractical, it is unworkable, it is offensive, it is discriminatory, and it is definitely draconian, and really, really offensive and discriminatory to rural…

You deserve the recognition, because I know it has been a tough grind for you, but the nation appreciates it.

There is an old saying, which is pay the farmer or pay the doctor, and I promise you paying the farmer is way cheaper.

my concern is, and I want to see if it is your concern, that the expansion of SNAP to be used online could make it easier to restrict and limit the amount of food, the types of food, and purchases that are bought with SNAP dollars.

the goal of many is to stop the abuses in the system where, if you have a liquor store, for example, that is receiving--or turning in a tremendous amount of vouchers for food stamps.

I think our family life today has a tremendous impact on it as well.

I would just reiterate that everybody was nodding their head when it came to the question of physical education in the school systems.

Now, there is also a growing movement and they use this term, healthy foods, right, we fight that battle, that limit the items that the food stamp recipient can get only to healthy foods.

cutting the food stamp program is not the answer to that.

We cannot determine how we fix this problem with just an attitude of we have to cut the food stamp program.

And wouldn't it be good if we could maybe begin the process of reinstituting that physical education class in the schools?

Now, that gives a reason for what we are doing.

Your programs are being targeted. Right now, you are at $414 million. It is clear to me this is a very, very serious issue.

If we don't show real visible things that we can communicate to the American people and here in Congress to really illustrate how many students, how many young people we were able to help, and give us some success stories.

It is indeed a very interesting hearing, but it is very important that we get to the focus of this hearing.

this over-extension of the stocking requirements, and the change in the definitions of not having multiple ingredient foods, we can't have chicken and noodle soup in there, and macaroni and cheese, and it doesn't count anymore.