Blake Moore: “I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding, and I commend my colleagues of the farm bill conference committee…”

“I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding, and I commend my colleagues of the farm bill conference committee in both the House and the Senate for strengthening the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and rejecting harmful cuts and onerous hurdles that would have made efforts of struggling families working to escape poverty more difficult. This conference agreement very specifically protects SNAP's categorical eligibility. What a victory we have won by not throwing 235,000 children, including 23,000 in my home State of Wisconsin, off school lunch, as the House bill proposed. {time} 1245 It rejected language to impose a lifetime ban on SNAP assistance for individuals reentering the community from incarceration. It rejected harsh work requirements and extremely limited time restrictions proposed in the House bill, which would have left millions of Americans hungry and vulnerable. And as a true compromise, Mr. Speaker, nobody got everything they wanted. For example, we still must work to strengthen access for seniors and people with disabilities who face difficulties participating in SNAP. That is a fight that we are going to continue to fight in the next Congress. But for the meantime, let's not have the perfect be the enemy of the good, and let's celebrate that we won't be taking food off the table for millions this holiday season.”