Hilda L. Solis: “I also rise in disappointment at the action that will take place today on the floor, and that is to instruct conferees…”

“I also rise in disappointment at the action that will take place today on the floor, and that is to instruct conferees on the farm bill to remove the provision of food stamps for legal immigrants. We talk about legal immigrants. Let us really put a face to it. Let us look at who these people are. They serve in our wars; they are serving in the military. Many of them are grandparents, many are children. They are here legally. They are playing by the rules. Their families pay into the tax base. The President has said he wants to honor them and give them food stamps; but his own party, the Republican Party, wants to take that away. We are sending mixed messages here, and I would hope we could unite around this whole concept of compassionate giving to people who earn their way here in the country. I would ask that the conferees and everyone please take hold of this situation, address it, and help to feed the children, the hungry children, in our districts. Right now in my own district there are about 37 percent immigrant families. Of that, those kids do not have enough to have food on their table. They do not have cereal. They did not have a banana. They did not have milk today, like you and I may have had. Let us make sure we do our best to defend those children.”