I am proud to welcome our next witness, Dr. Alan Grant, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

I have heard from livestock producers across Virginia's Seventh District about the challenges they face because of limitations in the livestock processing industry due to some workforce shortages.

Thank you, Chairman Baird and Ranking Member Spanberger, for this opportunity to testify.

I am glad to have a great representative of our Commonwealth join us here today.

And with my remaining time, I just want to talk about kind of the connection between what is happening at your universities...

Public investment in agricultural research is critical to the success of American agriculture.

And, Dr. Grant, the--certainly Virginia Tech is well known within the Commonwealth for its agriculture programs...

Clearly, I am going to use up all of my time ranting about this, but the fact is we are here today to talk about making more cuts, to making it more restrictive, to making it more difficult, and I can't say it enough, this is the…

So, we are not disadvantaging veterans by removing a hurdle for them to have access to affordable food, is that correct?

Leaving people hungry will not help our economy, it will not create jobs, or balance the budget.

I hear even from big retailers, like, H.E.B., one of this country's biggest private companies, asking and pushing to protect these basic nutrition benefits.

I personally believe that that is what is inflammatory.

I refuse to accept senseless changes to SNAP that would harm our nation's servicemembers, veterans, and any other vulnerable Americans.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being with us.

We have to think about, when we are talking about SNAP participants, it is a supplemental program.

Work requirements are in place, and so I submit for the record--or I ask unanimous consent to submit for the record the statute related to existing work requirements, which do indeed already exist for many SNAP requirements.

But when we came to the table to negotiate on the debt ceiling, what my Republican colleagues asked for was increases to our military budget, which has been increased year after year, even though the DOD has failed five consecutive waste…

I remain outraged that the Republicans demanded more older Americans be subject to SNAP's harsh time limits on benefits as part of the debt limit agreement.

I would just like to state for the record that the Federal minimum wage continues to be $7.25, and a tip wage worker, it is $2.13.

If any of my colleagues want to join some of us in raising that to a $14 level, I welcome them to do so.

Millions of elderly Americans, our seniors, our grandparents, our retirees, our neighbors, they are going to bed hungry.

Hungry kids don't learn, and hunger and poverty are a significant driver to poor learning outcomes, and many families are unable to purchase or access the food their children need to reach their full potential.

It is unacceptable that military families struggle to put food on the table in the richest, most powerful country in the world.

SNAP is one of the largest anti-hunger, anti-poverty initiatives in this nation. More than 42 million Americans depend on SNAP each month, including 15.3 million children; 108,000 of those children live in my state.

The answer to the question--though, Ms. Brown, given your specialty and expertise was probably misdirected at you--is 4.3 years.