On September 19, 2013 Rep. Jackson Lee of Texas asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representative for one minute regarding Republican proposal to cut SNAP food stamp benefits to millions of Americans.
“America should take notice. Today, all the food banks around the Nation should be bombarding this House and all of the faith leaders should be immediately rising up and dialing in, for this is a devastating food fight–a $411 million reduction in my State alone, impacting 3,997,000 if this bill containing $4 billion in cuts to food stamps, or the supplemental nutrition program, goes forward today.”
“There are 46.2 million people who are living in poverty in America, and 9.5 million of them are families. Also, 16.1 million children under the age of 18 are living in poverty. Is that the exceptional America? We know that we are better than that. Thirty-four percent of children in Texas are in poverty, 50.1 million Americans live in food insecurity, and 16 million children do not eat nutritiously. In larger proportions, that is what will happen today”, she said.
“And so this is the message: don’t cut SNAP. Stop the GOP from cutting $40 billion, which is 33.4 million meals, or 24 meals per month per family. That’s our message”, said Rep. Jackson Lee (source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov).
Rep. Jackson Lee serves on the House Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Homeland Security.