Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for the great information, the statistics, the science that is there that explains to us what happens when SNAP is denied to young people, as well as his heartfelt words about where our Nation is going when we are unable to feed our own. I have some remarks from another Member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, who is the chairperson of the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations of the Agriculture Committee. Madam Speaker, over 40 States and territories use broad-based categorical eligibility, or BBCE, to streamline the administration of SNAP and provide critical assistance to households receiving benefits and services through the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families block grant. BBCE is proven to help millions of working poor families move toward financial security by easing the benefits cliff as their earnings increase. On July 24, 2019, USDA published a proposed rule to restrict the use of BBCE and eliminate SNAP benefits for an estimated 3.1 million Americans. This includes children, working families, military veterans, disabled individuals, and our seniors. Most shameful is the proposal's impact on hungry school-age children. By USDA's own estimates, the new policy would take away direct access to free school meals for at least 500,000 schoolchildren. Nearly half a million children would be left to go hungry during the school day, shifting the burden to strapped school districts.…”