Ellison, Grijalva: Republicans Increasing Hunger In America

Statement

Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement after House Republicans removed the provisions that would fund nutrition programs from the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act of 2013 and passed the altered bill on a 216-208 vote.

"The bill passed today will increase hunger in America. The removal of the nutrition provisions from the bill will make life harder for working Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to feed their families. Republicans have cleared dinner tables around the country before our children have a chance to eat.

"America's farmers, who will benefit the most from this bill, are against it because they know we shouldn't have to choose between our farming neighbors and the hungry. The SNAP program provides 47 million people with the assistance they need to buy the food our farmers grow.

"Millions of working families are getting by on less and less, but Republicans continue to introduce bills that make it harder to get by in America. The bill passed today makes going hungry a real possibility for too many families. Feeding your children should never be a question in the richest nation in the world."

Source