Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition of this bill. Senator Dole is right: this is no time to play politics with hunger.

I want to thank those in the faith community that have come out against these cuts to the nutrition program because of the moral imperative in the Bible from Matthew 25:

When I was hungry, you gave me to eat.

I want to thank in particular Reverend David Beckman, who writes:

The proposed cuts are a clear indication that some in Congress underestimate the hunger that is present in American homes. The bill picks on the poorest people in the country. This is morally and economically unacceptable, especially as some areas continue to experience high unemployment.

I also want to thank Reverend Stephen Blaire, who said:

Adequate and nutritious food is a fundamental human right and the basic need that is integral to protecting the life and dignity of the human person.

Please, defeat this bill. It's the wrong thing to do. In a country as rich as our own, we can feed the poor. It's the most basic imperative in the Bible.

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