Eva M. Clayton: “the Senate has proposed that the emergency supplement appropriation bill, a bill to help those ravaged by storm in…”

“the Senate has proposed that the emergency supplement appropriation bill, a bill to help those ravaged by storm in Central America, be offset by hurting those ravaged by hunger in North America. This proposal, inappropriately so, requires offset from the food stamps to pay for it. This proposal fails to recognize a hunger in America is more than just a word. It is a harsh and cruel reality that affects millions and millions of Americans, including children. According to the Catholic charities, the demand for emergency food assistance increased by 26 percent in the first half of 1998. The United States Department of Agriculture and the Census Bureau report that one in eight families in America remain on the edge of hunger. We are in an economic boom, but many working people, their families, their children, far too many, face a food crisis and a hunger burst. Indeed the U.S. Conference of Mayors tells us that close to 40 percent of those seeking food aid in 1997 were members of families where at least one person in the household was working. That is why I support allowing participants in the Food Stamp Program to own a reliable car. Under the current law, food stamp participants cannot own a car valued at more than $4650. This limit in the law discourages progress and promotes poverty. A reliable car is essential for daily necessity, but more importantly, this is essential for getting to work.”