Ilhan Omar: “I thank Representative Hayes for her tireless efforts, and, yes, she is right. Children, the poor, the elderly, and the…”

“I thank Representative Hayes for her tireless efforts, and, yes, she is right. Children, the poor, the elderly, and the downtrodden do not have lobbyists, but they have us. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to Chairman Thompson's partisan farm bill. Hunger is rising at an alarming rate among U.S. households. In Minnesota alone, over 500,000 people are facing hunger, including over 180,000 children. SNAP serves as the first line of defense against hunger for children, for the elderly, for veterans, and for those who have disabilities. Yet, last week, Republicans unveiled the largest cuts to SNAP in nearly 30 years. This extreme proposal would slash SNAP funding, which provides food benefits for low-income families by approximately $30 billion over the next decade, impacting every participant. Instead of proposing this unacceptable policy, we should be passing my universal school meals program. We should be fully funding SNAP. We should be fully funding WIC. Enacting this bill without dramatic changes would push more people below the poverty line and exacerbate hunger. I urge my colleagues to reject this proposal and prioritize our constituents over making political points.”