Vicki Escarra statement about the Farm Bill passage
June 21, 2012
Here is our CEO Vicki Escarra’s statement on the passage of the Farm Bill by the Senate today:
“The need for federal nutrition assistance programs has never been greater. With unemployment stuck above 8% nationally, millions of families scraping by with reduced wages or hours, and the charitable system stretched to the breaking point, it is critical that the 2012 Farm Bill protect and strengthen hunger-relief programs.
While we are deeply disappointed that an amendment to restore the $4.5 billion in SNAP cuts failed to pass, we are pleased that the Senate demonstrated overwhelming bipartisan opposition to deeper cuts and harmful structural changes to SNAP by voting down several amendments to weaken the program. This sends a strong and clear message to the House that the Senate will firmly oppose further SNAP cuts. Now is the time to protect and strengthen nutrition assistance, not cut the benefits upon which so many vulnerable families rely.
The bill reported out of the Senate today, also provides food banks and other emergency food providers with an additional $174 million over the next ten years in USDA commodities provided through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). This boost in nutritious USDA commodities will help our network and other charitable feeding organizations better meet the ongoing high demand for food assistance in their communities.
We recognize the challenge of writing a Farm Bill in a climate of deficit reduction and commend Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Roberts for moving a bipartisan bill out of committee and off of the Senate floor. We will continue working to protect and strengthen hunger-relief programs and look for opportunities to improve the nutrition title as the Farm Bill process moves forward.”
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Comments
Reducing SNAP benefits takes food out of the mouths of hungry Americans. Surely there are other ways of of funding our government besides cutting the already low SNAP benefits to the most vulnerable population. Think about that when you raise your fork to your mouth during your next meal.
Posted by Brenda | June 21, 2012 at 3:51 PM
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110416192715AApbiYu
Farm Program Pays $1.3 Billion to People Who Don’t Farm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/01/AR...
Jul 02, 2006 · Matthews is not alone. Nationwide, the federal government has paid at least $1.3 billion in subsidies for rice and other crops … found farm subsidy …
Posted by Richard Axford | June 21, 2012 at 8:45 PM