Mark Pocan: “the Republicans in the appropriations process are leaving seniors to starve, underfunding the Meals on Wheels food…”

“the Republicans in the appropriations process are leaving seniors to starve, underfunding the Meals on Wheels food assistance program by $600 million, a move that is likely to cost 1.9 million needy people their access to food. This follows the big, ugly bill, which all but three Republicans voted for, making it the largest cut to food assistance in our Nation's history. By flat-funding the vital Meals on Wheels program for seniors in the Health and Human Services appropriations bill, Republicans are ignoring the real increase in food costs that Americans are experiencing due to a lack of action by the administration to lower costs. With all of this talk of Republicans making food access harder and harder for millions and millions of Americans, what did they do this weekend at the White House? They held an extravagant dinner in the newly paved area that once was the Rose Garden and had a three-course dinner and drinks, featuring Rose Garden salad--at least we know where the plants went that once were there--steak, and a fudge-filled, seven-layer cake, making their cuts to food assistance even more tone deaf than ever. A fudge-filled, seven-layer cake? I guess the theme of the White House event was 'let them eat cake.' How fitting.”