U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern circulates 'Dear Colleague letter'; "Snap is a bipartisan-supported program""

Washington, DC, February 23, 2012

SNAP IS A BIPARTISAN-SUPPORTED PROGRAM

Dear Colleague,

Yesterday, our colleague Rep. Luis Gutierrez delivered a five-minute statement on SNAP. During his time on the floor, Rep. Gutierrez pointed out the importance of SNAP, the way it is touching people's lives, and - most importantly - that SNAP has enjoyed bipartisan support over the past decades. An interesting fact that Rep. Gutierrez points out is that President George W. Bush oversaw one of the biggest, and most deserving, expansions of SNAP. The text of Rep. Gutierrez' comments are included in this Dear Colleague and you can watch his statement here http://youtu.be/-AnuDkXlX0o.

It's time we take the politics out of hunger and, instead, work together to end this scourge once and for all. As my previous Dear Colleagues have pointed out, SNAP is a true safety-net program that is among the most efficient and effective federal programs. It's a tool designed to prevent families from going without food, not a weapon to be used in a political campaign and I hope Members will refrain from disparaging this important, efficient, and effective program during this highly charged campaign season.

Sincerely,

James P. McGovern

Member of Congress