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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), a senior House Democrat and Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Nutrition Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at today’s hearing entitled, The Next Farm Bill: Pathways to Success for SNAP Households. Congressman McGovern criticized House Republicans for their budget’s $10 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps millions of families put food on the table every year. Click here for video of today’s hearing.



“I know it's become convenient for some to look at SNAP as an ATM machine to pay for other things, but SNAP is a vital, important program that millions of families rely on to put food on the table. And it's not a particularly generous benefit. The average benefit is about $1.40 per person per meal. You can't even buy a cup of coffee for that. That's why many SNAP recipients end up at food banks at the end of the month.

“Yes, we need to figure out ways to help get people to be secure and have a job. We're all for work. But understand one thing – 67 percent of the people on this program are not expected to work or cannot work. They're children. They're senior citizens. They're people who are disabled.

“Of those who can work, a majority work. And let's get that on the record. I'm tired of the perception that everyone on SNAP is lazy or doesn't want to work. The fact is, the majority of them that are able to, do work. If we're talking about how we can help transition people who can work into the workforce, we need to understand that you don't do it by cutting the program by $10 billion. When we talk about things like ‘the cliff,’ it's not just SNAP. It includes things like housing, it includes daycare.

“Being poor in this country is hard work. And I would like to think that we would recognize that. And this budget that was unveiled today, does not. And by the way, not only are there cuts in SNAP, we see cuts in things like Pell grants. You want children of SNAP families to be able to have a future? One thing you don't do is cut their education benefits.

“If this is the budget and this is what we're going to see in the Farm Bill, a cut of $10 billion, then I predict right here and now that we will not have a Farm Bill. And I will certainly do everything I can to kill a Farm Bill that has a $10 billion cut in it.”

Click here for video of today’s hearing.

Full Text of Congressman McGovern’s Remarks:

“This is our 23rd hearing on SNAP. And I just read the Republican budget, where there is a proposal out there for a $10 billion cut in SNAP. Ten billion dollars.

“In the last Farm Bill, there were savings of $104 billion and $92 billion came from SNAP. I know it's become convenient for some to look at SNAP as an ATM machine to pay for other things, but SNAP is a vital, important program that millions of families rely on to put food on the table. And it's not a particularly generous benefit.

“The average benefit is about $1.40 per person per meal. You can't even buy a cup of coffee for that. That's why many SNAP recipients end up at food banks at the end of the month.

“Yes, we need to figure out ways to help get people to be secure and have a job. We're all for work. But understand one thing – 67 percent of the people on this program are not expected to work or cannot work. They're children. They're senior citizens. They're people who are disabled.

“Of those who can work, a majority work. And let's get that on the record. I'm tired of the perception that everyone on SNAP is lazy or doesn't want to work. The fact is, the majority of them that are able to, do work. The question is, why do they earn such low wages? Why does work pay so little in this country?

“Of those who are not working, who we believe are able to work, we need to explore this population. This able-bodied adults without dependents policy - where if you don't have a job within three months, or you don't have a work training program, you lose your benefits for three years. Well, that population is complicated. And I've come to understand that in that population, there are the chronically homeless, the people who can't read, we include kids who are aging out of foster care, we have people with undiagnosed mental illnesses, and now a lot of veterans are falling into that category.

“I'd like to ask unanimous consent to insert into the record an article that appeared in the Washington Post, on May 22, that talks about one Navy veteran who was thrown off the benefit because he couldn't get work within the prescribed period of time, who was living off of squirrels that he was skinning and eating. That was his only source of food because he lost his SNAP benefit.

“I point this out because, if we're talking about how we can help transition people who can work into the workforce, we need to understand that you don't do it by cutting the program by 10 billion dollars. When we talk about things like "the cliff," it's not just SNAP. It includes things like housing, it includes daycare, it includes a lot of things that are not part of what this committee has jurisdiction over.

“The perception in Washington about SNAP and about those who receive the benefit does not reflect the reality. And yeah, we can find people that abuse the program, I'm sure. And I'm sure we can find people that ought to be in a job and are not, but the vast majority of people in this program, I think, would prefer not to be. Being poor in this country is hard work. And I would like to think that we would recognize that. And this budget that was unveiled today, does not. And by the way, not only are there cuts in SNAP, we see cuts in things like Pell grants. You want children of SNAP families to be able to have a future? One thing you don't do is cut their education benefits.

“I appreciate the chair's indulgence, but I am really angry at this budget. I will just say one final thing. If this is the budget and this is what we're going to see in the Farm Bill, a cut of 10 billion dollars - I think that may even be a floor, not a ceiling - then I predict right here and now that we will not have a Farm Bill. And I will certainly do everything I can to kill a Farm Bill that has a 10 billion dollar cut in it.”

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