Political Quotes

“I whole-heartedly support this amendment which is so critical to so many Montana families. The SUA waiver is of particular concern because long winters and high utility costs are something all Montanans face, regardless of income. This waiver allows a credit to a household's income when determining eligibility and amount of food stamp benefits. Because of the unique set of challenges facing Montanans in terms of extreme weather conditions, termination of the Standard Utility Allowance could very well put many needy households at risk of experiencing hunger. The current SUA waiver is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2000. However, the USDA Food Nutrition Service has conditionally approved the extension of the Montana SUA waiver for an additional year to September 30, 2001. A primary condition to that approval is congressional approval of adequate funding. To date, this waiver has been very successful in its goals to provide nutritional assistance to low-income citizens. I strongly support funding this program at $500,000 and will work with my colleagues to make that happen by the end of conference.”