Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004

AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2004

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I would like to speak on amendment 2094, which was successfully added to the fiscal year 2004 Agriculture appropriations bill yesterday. This amendment restores decreased funding for food stamp recipients in Alaska and Hawaii. Senators STEVENS, INOUYE, and AKAKA have joined me in cosponsoring this amendment.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the cost of food items in Alaska and Hawaii, rather than researching the actual cost for these items. This method of estimating prices rather than researching prices led to a negative update that slashed benefits for the most vulnerable Alaskans and Hawaiians. The cuts in benefits, which took effect on October 1 of this year, essentially locks low income residents of Alaska and Hawaii into trying to buy this year's food at last year's prices. This just does not work.

Please allow me to give a few examples about the actual cost of food around my State. In the general store in Port Graham, a remote village in the southcentral part of Alaska that is only accessible by boat or aircraft, one gallon of milk costs $11.59. In the village of Hoonah, which is a remote village located on an island west of our State capitol of Juneau, oranges cost nearly $5 a pound.

Cutting the benefits for folks who are already paying far above the national average for food is unconscionable. This amendment, which is fully offset, says that the most vulnerable Alaskans and Hawaiians should not be stripped of their ability to put food on the table for their families.

This amendment will make a real difference for those in Alaska and Hawaii who are working to become self-sufficient.