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Threats to SNAP Program

Floor Speech

Date: May 9, 2018
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Entitlements and the Safety Net

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Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for yielding.

When we talk about SNAP, I often think about my own childhood. When I was a kid, I remember my parents needing some assistance. We would get a bag of groceries that had block yellow cheese in it; it had things we could use to make some food. It was temporary. It was to get us through a tough time.

SNAP is our Nation's cornerstone antihunger program, providing millions of American households with access to food assistance. Children living in these households are also eligible to receive free school meals, ensuring that they are not worried about going hungry when they should be free to focus on their academics.

In California alone, 4.1 million people rely upon SNAP, with 74 percent of participants being part of families with children and half of participants already being part of working families. In my district, California's 44th Congressional District that covers areas like Compton, Watts, and San Pedro, 17 percent of households depend upon SNAP to assist them in feeding their families. SNAP not only provides families in need with vital nutritional assistance; it also helps to stimulate local economies. For every dollar invested in SNAP, nearly $2 are generated in economic activity.

That is why the current efforts to ``reform'' SNAP are so misguided. These include the recent Harvest Box proposal, which would reduce or eliminate a SNAP recipient's access to nutritious products like fresh produce and meats, taking away their right to choose how best to fulfill their family's specific nutritional needs. Additionally, the recently unveiled farm bill expands work requirements for SNAP. This would make it harder for our most vulnerable to access food assistance, knocking them back down when we should be offering them a hand up.

I am proud to support SNAP, and I will continue fighting with my colleagues to ensure that no American has to struggle to put food on their table.

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