Political Quotes

“I come to the floor today opposed to the potential cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, an important food program that lifts families, children, and seniors out of poverty and provides an important safety net for those in need. SNAP is our Nation's most important antihunger program. It provides food assistance to approximately 46 million Americans, and it kept 4.7 million people out of poverty in 2011, including over 2 million children. This food program has cut the number of children living in extreme poverty in America in half. Now, earlier this year, my colleagues on the other side approved a farm bill, but left the food for America's families behind. They passed special subsidies for Big Ag but, for the first time in decades, excluded funding for food assistance for America's families in need. And now, months after providing special subsidies for Big Ag, House Republicans are bringing forward a bill to cut food assistance by $40 billion. Apparently, the first attempt at $20 billion was not deep enough. So they pass a farm bill that provides corporate subsidies, but they leave food for America's families behind. In my district and in the State of Nevada, more than 71 percent of SNAP participants are families with children. Almost 26 percent of all SNAP participants are in families with elderly and disabled members, and nearly 42 percent of all SNAP families are in working families.…”