Richard Hudson: “At this point, I'd like to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa). Mr. LaMALFA Mr.…”

“At this point, I'd like to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa). Mr. LaMALFA Mr. Chairman, I'm pleased to join my colleagues, Representatives Hudson and Yoho, to again offer a commonsense amendment that will further assist in diminishing the abuse in the SNAP program. This is a no-nonsense amendment. If you have enough money to buy drugs, you do not need taxpayer money to buy food. This amendment protects the taxpayer from directly subsidizing the purchase of drugs. Without this amendment, drug users will continue to use their money to buy drugs and your money to buy food. This amendment gives States the ability to implement a drug screening program in the way that works best for them, but it needs to be part of the SNAP benefit qualification application. There are already 29 States that have proposals to do this, and eight States have already passed this type of legislation for this type of screening. Letting drug users abuse the SNAP program diverts funds from those who truly need it. That's what we're about here. Of course, this is what taxpayers, when you talk to regular folks, this is the kind of thing they complain about around the kitchen table, like, ``Why are my tax dollars going towards this?'' If I had a dime for every time I've heard this. {time} 1920 People want this sort of thing to happen for those that are abusing this program. Taxpayers deserve better; the folks that really need the benefits of food stamps deserve better.…”