Protecting Snap From Budget Cuts

Floor Speech

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Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the cruel cuts Republicans want to make to SNAP, the food assistance program. These would be the largest cuts in our Nation's history.

No one in the United States should go hungry. Unfortunately, President Trump and Republicans don't agree. They want to make the largest cuts in our Nation's history to the food assistance program that we call SNAP.

House Republicans just voted to do this. When did they do it? They did it in the middle of the night so it wouldn't be covered and so nobody would see. House Republicans voted to take away food assistance from hungry Americans.

House Republicans' plan would slash and cut $300 billion from SNAP. That means ripping away meals from children, seniors, veterans, and families just trying to get by. Why? It is all to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations.

SNAP is not a handout. It is a lifeline. Behind every SNAP benefit is a person. It is a mother, a veteran, and a neighbor doing everything they can to survive.

We also know that food assistance helps keep people healthy, and it helps them survive. What do Republicans say when constituents have expressed concerns about cuts to things like healthcare and programs to keep them healthy like SNAP? This is what they say: ``We are all going to die.'' This is an actual quote. This is what Republicans are telling the American people. We are going to die anyway. How outrageous is that? How cruel is that?

Mr. Speaker, that may be true someday. It is no excuse to let people starve today and not because of Republicans' cruel policies. We should not turn our backs on millions of Americans and their fight to survive poverty and live with dignity.

Republicans are doing nothing to bring down costs. Instead, their policies and their failure to act are making life more expensive for hardworking Americans during a time when inflation and a rise in grocery prices make it harder for people to get by.

Mr. Speaker, let me tell you about Tylynn. Tylynn is a single mother of four from Wilmington, California, in my district. She fell on hard times. Tylynn was homeless and lost custody of her children because she simply could not afford to feed them. SNAP changed everything. With help, she got back on her feet. Today, she has a stable home and has regained full custody of her children.

Mr. Speaker, let me also tell you about Michael. Michael is a 66- year-old disabled veteran from San Pedro, California, in my district. He served in the Army for 7 years. He and his partner, Suzanne, now rely on SNAP to afford groceries. Without it, they go hungry.

For Tylynn, for Michael, and 42 million Americans, food assistance programs like SNAP are so critical. It is not a luxury. The Republican budget bill to cut SNAP is a direct threat to their well-being and to millions of Americans.

House Democrats stood strong and voted to oppose these cuts. The fight is not over. We will not stand by silently while Americans are pushed into hunger.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the Senate to reject these cuts. I urge my House Republican colleagues to grow a spine to fight so Americans don't go hungry.

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