Jim McGovern

I want to implore this committee to consider the critical issue of youth tobacco and e-cigarette usage.

This is an insult to the American people. It is an insult to us. We are going to respond.

It is important that we respond as a full, bipartisan Congress, so you can rest assured that your testimonies and the results of this will be discussed.

But with that said, while I prefer to take a couple of steps back and end up with that harmonization from the regulatory agencies, if necessary, I stand prepared to move forward with my colleague, Chairman Scott, as I believe the full…

We should be talking about how you expand that benefit, and instead we are talking about how we can throw people off of the benefit.

The notion that somehow people are clamoring to be poor enough to be eligible for SNAP is laughable.

What we expect is that people, decent people, in this country would do the right thing and try to help people as opposed to hurt them.

If you want to talk about defrauding the Federal Government, I mean, we ought to take a good look at defense contractors and all the cost overruns.

I represent one of poorest districts in the United States. They come to my office every day wanting to find a job.

I am strongly opposed to a similar change in the farm bill, because, according to the Congressional Budget Office, it would take school meals away from 265,000 children nationwide.

More than 98,000 North Carolinians and 35,000 children would lose food assistance, including school meals for children

We need to be thinking about how we can do what Dr. Davis is doing in Mississippi and craft supports that make it easier for them to work.

We ought to take a good look at defense contractors and all the cost overruns.

There are close to 40 million people in this country who don't know where their next meal is going to come from.

We should be talking about how you expand that benefit, and instead we are talking about how we can throw people off of the benefit.

The average SNAP benefit is about $1.40 per person per meal. You can't even buy a cup of coffee for that.

He intentionally defrauded the Federal Government. That is, in my opinion, breaking the law.

It was clear that it was just yet another part of this attack on poor people.

But I also am concerned about the fact that someone would intentionally try to take resources from people in need.

You willfully and maliciously gained SNAP benefits. You, an alleged millionaire, used mischaracterizations of your finances to cheat the program.

I am not impugning his reputation. He didn't lie on any forms. He simply exposed the flaws of a failed system.

And I think it is right that we ask the question here: what about the poor people? How do we help them?

Receiving a check from our social safety net programs should not be easier than applying for a job.

Again, I ask what do Congressional Republicans and this Administration have against poor people?

The party of states' rights seems more interested in a one-size-fits-all approach based solely on conservative ideology.