Michelle Lujan Grisham

Much of the data about the work requirement's impact on hunger does not exist.

We have to be clear, and that is why I want the data. So it isn't politically driven, it is data driven.

I spend a lot of time, really, talking about the conditions in New Mexico, which, given your research, and some of your--particularly, Dr. Chilton, some references that there are concerns about states like New Mexico, who have had waivers…

Cutting them off from SNAP only makes hunger worse.

The majority of SNAP recipients, who are able to work, do work.

SNAP is a food program, not a jobs program.

The issue of hunger ought to be a bigger deal in this Congress than it is.

SNAP in and of itself is not a jobs program; it is a food program.

I don't think we should lessen our commitment to food and nutrition programs, and divert those monies to someplace else.

What we need is a clearinghouse to be able to highlight best practices, but we also need to talk very candidly about ways that we can sew up some of the holes in the social safety net.

SNAP can't do it all, but what it is supposed to do, which is to make sure that people don't go hungry in this country, I think it needs to do it better.

I encourage this Committee to remember that there are states who--even without waivers, and exceptions, and changes have not done the jobs that we intend.

SNAP benefits processing has fallen by 23 percent, and this is a design as part of reforming the program: 20,000 lost their food benefits.

Those kinds of incentives can be very counter-productive, and create exactly the opposite intent, of innovation and productive reform.

I really care about and believe in, as effective as possible in meeting its goals--and doing what it ought to do, which is help this country eradicate hunger.

It is still deplorable that my constituents face hunger every single day.

We should be rewarding and incentivizing those states that eradicate hunger.

SNAP works. SNAP is helping millions of struggling families around the county put food on the table.

These are the men and women who bravely fought for our country, and I don't think we are doing enough to support them.

We should be looking at the evidence that shows that more and more seniors are experiencing hunger.

If we are talking about investing in our future, I can't think of a better investment than making sure that our kids have enough to eat.

SNAP is not a jobs program. It is a food program.

I think about my State where we're having so many issues, if we were reversing those investments.

I fear that we can make lots of adjustments to the criminal justice system, but we are still going to have it as a de facto environment for institutional care for this population.

I hope this is a stepping off place to do that.