Conference Report on H.R. 2642, Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2014

Floor Speech

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in opposition to H.R. 2642, a bill that will starve millions of families and children and further add to the economic instability of American families.

Cutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, referred to as ``SNAP,'' by eight billion dollars ($8 billion) over the next ten years, H.R. 2642 will undermine access to healthy food for the many children, disabled people, and senior citizens who account for eighty-three percent of the beneficiaries of the program.

It is estimated that eight hundred and fifty thousand (850,000) households, of which three hundred thousand (300,000) are New Yorkers, will lose on average ninety ($90) dollars per month in SNAP benefits.

While I am glad that the far larger cuts were rejected by the Conference Committee, the loss of ninety ($90) dollars per month is deeply harmful to these households, which are already teetering on the brink of economic catastrophe.

What are we thinking? We are literally taking the food out of the mouths of babes, while continuing to provide generous subsidies to large agro-businesses.

It is for these reasons that I will vote no on this bill and I ask my colleagues to oppose this bill with me.

Source