Political Quotes

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to yield 1\1/4\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro). Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlelady. I think that this is really the height of temerity here to make reference to people who are on a food stamp program and make a presumption that because they're on a food stamp program that they are using drugs and that they should be tested. My gosh, I would just say that what about those people who are getting $4.7 million in direct payments from the Federal Government--as the gentleman from California does--and an additional $1.2 million from direct payments from the Federal Government? Maybe we ought to start drug testing all of the people who get some sort of a benefit from the Federal Government, and particularly those folks in this program, like the folks who are on crop insurance. We can't find out the names of the 26 individuals on crop insurance that get at least $1 million--$1 million they get in a premium subsidy. And do you know what, my friends? There is no cap on the amount of money, there is no threshold on what they can receive, they have no eligibility criteria. They just get the money, and they don't have to even farm the land. Why don't we drug test those folks today and not demean people who have fallen on hard times?”