On the recordOctober 4, 2013
I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the former ranking member of the Ag Appropriations Committee and now the ranking member of the Health and Human Services Subcommittee. Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this cruel political game the majority is playing this afternoon. Since they took office, this Republican majority has repeatedly tried to slash the women, infants, and children feeding program--2011, 2012, 2013. I sit on the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. This past summer, on a party-line vote, the Republican members on the committee who have just gotten up to speak to you voted to slash the WIC program and take nutritious food from over 200,000 pregnant mothers and infants. I introduced an amendment to restore this critical funding, and the Republican majority shut it down. When it mattered, when we all voted, the Republican majority cut this funding. And now they're trying to use low-income families for a political message. This is disingenuous, this is duplicitous, and it is shameful. Last month, on a party-line vote, they took food stamps from over 4 million low-income families, seniors, veterans, and children. {time} 1700 Are we meant to believe that today they have come to Jesus? Or is it just politics?…
