Political Quotes

“I rise to support this amendment, which is an amendment that supports our Native-American communities who face food insecurity. The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, commonly known as FDPIR, provides food assistance for 90,000 people in 276 Tribes across this country. Often, on Tribal lands--and certainly in the rural parts of my home State of Nevada--people live miles from a SNAP office or a grocery store. So FDPIR provides a crucial source of nutrition. But many enrollees in the program still have to pick up the FDPIR benefits in person, and for elderly or disabled Tribal members, it is too difficult to make that trip. So I urge my colleagues to vote for this important amendment to study ways to improve access to the program for the homebound and the elderly. I thank my colleague and fellow member of the Indian Affairs Committee, Senator Lankford, for his support on this important effort. We want to ensure that no one is going hungry when there is food waiting for them just a few miles away. I thank the Senate leadership for allowing open debate and discussion of the issue facing Indian Country on the floor of this Chamber. I look forward to continued conversations on how to help members of Tribes to thrive and to grow their communities and to chart a more vibrant future. Thank you. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma.”