Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the House Republican revised farm bill.

The bill before us should not be referred to as a farm bill. Farm bills have traditionally tried to address challenges facing all of American agriculture including nutrition and hunger issues.

This legislation removes the Nutrition title from the farm bill, which includes the programs that help improve nutrition and fight hunger. Consequently, the bill before us is nothing more than an attempt by House Republicans to undermine the safety net provided to low-income Americans struggling to put food on their table.

It is unconscionable that Republican leadership has removed the Nutrition title from the farm bill and are using food as a political tool.

Despite what economists have been reporting, our economy is still in a recession for a significant number of Americans and we still have a poverty crisis in this country.

In 2011, there were 46.2 million people in poverty. 16.1 million children are living in poverty. Children under the age of 18 have the highest poverty rate in the United States.

More than 3.6 million seniors are living in poverty. Women over the age of 85 have the second highest poverty rate in the country.

Families and individuals living in poverty often rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help put food on the table.

By removing SNAP from the farm bill, millions of Americans including many children and seniors will go hungry. This should not happen in the richest country on the planet.

While SNAP is the largest portion of the Nutrition title, there are other programs in the Nutrition title that are vital in combating hunger that will essentially cease to exist as a result of House Republicans.

I want to mention one of those programs, the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program. This important program helps low-income seniors purchase fresh, nutritious, locally grown fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs.

There were nearly 5 million seniors in 2011 that were food insecure. That means 1 in 12 seniors had trouble putting food on their plates in the United States. I find that completely unacceptable and no senior citizen should have to worry where his or her next meal will come from.

Given the damage that sequestration is doing to Meals on Wheels and other senior assistance programs, House Republicans should be ashamed for trying to take food away from our senior citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the House Republican half-hearted farm bill.

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the House Republican revised ``half-a-loaf'' farm bill.

The bill before us should not be referred to as a farm bill. Farm bills have traditionally tried to address challenges facing all of American agriculture including nutrition and hunger issues.

This legislation removes the Nutrition title from the farm bill, which includes the programs that help improve nutrition and fight hunger. Consequently, the bill before us is nothing more than an attempt by House Republicans to undermine the safety net provided to nutrition-short Americans struggling to put food on their table.

It is unconscionable that Republican leadership has removed the Nutrition title from the farm bill and are using food as a political tool. Those political figures who extract food as a political weapon, are not only morally compromised but dangerously destructive.

Despite what economists have been reporting, our economy is still in a recession for a significant number of Americans. We have a poverty crisis in this country. We have 12 million Americans unemployed or underemployed.

In 2011, there were 46.2 million people in poverty. 16.1 million children are living in poverty. Children under the age of 18 have the highest poverty rate in the United States.

More than 3.6 million seniors are living in poverty. Women over the age of 85 have the second highest poverty rate in our country.

Families and individuals living in poverty often rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help put food on the table.

By removing SNAP from the farm bill, millions of Americans including many children and seniors will go hungry. This should not happen in the richest country on the planet.

While SNAP is the largest portion of the Nutrition title, there are other programs in the Nutrition title that are vital in combating hunger that will essentially cease to exist as a result of House Republicans.

I want to mention one of those programs, the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program. This important program helps low-income seniors purchase fresh, nutritious, locally grown fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs.

There were nearly 5 million seniors in 2011 that were food insecure. That means 1 in 12 seniors had trouble putting food on their plates in the United States. I find that completely unacceptable. No senior citizen should have to worry where his or her next meal will come from!

Given the damage that sequestration is doing to Meals on Wheels and other senior assistance programs, House Republicans should be ashamed for trying to take food away from our senior citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the House Republican half-hearted farm bill.

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