On the recordMay 22, 2024
I sincerely thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut for bringing us together tonight to defend the SNAP program. In America, no child should go to bed hungry. No family should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. SNAP is the most important and effective tool we have to stave off hunger in our country. It is our first line of defense, and yet House Republicans have proposed the largest cut to the program in decades. This is cruel, plain and simple. These proposed cuts stand to harm more than 40,000 families in my district in California and over 40 million families nationwide who benefit from this program. Almost 80 percent of the people who benefit from SNAP are children, seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans. SNAP also boosts our local economies. Every dollar spent on SNAP benefits generates roughly $1.50 in economic activity. For too many people in our country, making ends meet is a daily battle. Programs like SNAP are vital tools for ending hunger and helping those who are most in need. They provide Americans with the help they need to find the footing in tough times and to make life better for themselves and their children. We should be expanding these programs, not cutting them. {time} 1815
