End Hunger Now

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I spent August talking to and listening to my constituents, as I hope my Republican colleagues did, too. What did I hear the most? They are scared out of their minds about the impact of the Republicans' big, ugly bill, particularly on how it will make hunger worse in this country.

From community-based organizations to food pantries to hospitals to farmers, they are all terrified about the nearly $200 billion in cuts to SNAP. This is why, Madam Speaker, I am stunned, absolutely stunned, that the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, of which I have been proud to serve on for 14 years, seems to be hell-bent on jamming a farm bill through the committee this month with no plans, none at all, to address the draconian SNAP cuts.

Let me say loud and clear that I, for one, am not open to negotiations and discussions about a new 5-year farm bill unless fixing the cuts to SNAP is on the agenda. Democrats will not be a cheap date when it comes to feeding people in this country. We are not just going to roll over and move on. No way.

To talk about a new farm bill without addressing the big, ugly bill's nutrition cuts is unconscionable. It is cruel. Let me remind my colleagues that the average SNAP benefit is about $2 per person per meal. A cut of nearly $200 billion is an awful lot of meals that Republicans are taking away from vulnerable Americans.

SNAP cuts are imminent. Despite Republican attempts to push some of the biggest cuts off until the 2026 midterms, very real benefit cuts for some of the most vulnerable of all are expected to go into effect within weeks.

Any day now, USDA is expected to release regulations on new time limits for veterans, former foster youth, and homeless populations who were previously exempted.

According to a recent CBO report, the new onerous paperwork requirements and time limits alone will kick at least 2.4 million Americans off of SNAP. That is parents with school-age kids, veterans, seniors, and the disabled.

Furthermore, CBO expects that some States will choose to abandon SNAP altogether. For the first time ever, the big, ugly bill mandates a State cost-share requirement for food benefits. If States can't pony up their share, which for some States could run into the billions of dollars, they will just choose to walk away. It is an enormous burden on States already strapped for cash.

Let me also say this. If Republicans think they can just throw a few extra bucks at TEFAP, which is the Federal program that helps food banks, and call it good, they are out of their minds. We can't food bank our way out of this Republican-made crisis. Charity alone can't pick up the slack of millions of people losing their Federal food benefits.

Madam Speaker, it would be utterly reckless of us to try to jam a 5- year farm bill through Congress right now.

Let me also say, it is not just the ``usual suspects'' sounding the alarm on SNAP cuts. A couple of weeks ago, I went on my 15th annual farm tour across 12 farms in central and western Massachusetts. Over and over again, I heard from farmers about how they are bracing for these drastic SNAP cuts. Why? We can only buy food with SNAP benefits.

Who grows that food? Our farmers, like my constituents, grow that food. They are already seeing the abrupt cancellation of USDA programs that support the purchase of fresh, local produce for schools and food banks. Not only did these cancellations reduce the amount of healthy fruits and veggies going to people in need, it took income away from our farmers.

The very real and impending SNAP cuts are just another economic hit to our farmers. Madam Speaker, we are not operating in anything resembling business as usual right now. Republicans have ripped apart the longstanding farm bill coalition between nutrition and farming interests.

The big, ugly bill decimated modest, yet meaningful SNAP benefits, all to give more tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy and well-connected.

Madam Speaker, we either want to end hunger or we don't. Trump and his Republican cronies in Congress have clearly chosen to make hunger worse. We cannot stand idly by while hunger is made worse in this country, the richest country in the world.

Again, what is particularly galling is that Republicans champion tax cuts for multimillionaires and billionaires, while decimating an essential program to help put food on the table. What is wrong with these people.

Madam Speaker, we do not share the same values. We say no new farm bill without fixing the big, ugly bill's cuts to SNAP. We can and we should do more, a hell of a lot more, to end hunger now.

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