Farm Bill

Floor Speech

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Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 3383 to the language proposed to be stricken by amendment No. 3224.
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Mr. KENNEDY. Thank you.

Mr. President, I am joined in this amendment with Senators Cruz and Lee. I thank Senator Roberts and Senator Stabenow for their work on this bill.

The farm bill is a must-pass bill. It is important. I realize that. America was born on the farm. Seventy percent of the cost of this bill has to do with food stamps, and I am pleased to have the opportunity for us to discuss a way to improve our food stamp program.

As I said yesterday, I don't want to take away food stamps from people in need. I do want fewer people to need food stamps. In our country, I am very proud of the fact that if you are hungry, we feed you. If you are homeless, we house you. If you are too poor to be sick, we pay for your doctor. But the best way to continue the food stamp program and our other social programs is to make sure that they are efficient and that we save as much money as we can from those who would abuse the program in order to really help those in need.

This amendment will make responsible changes to the SNAP program by updating photo identification requirements related to electronic benefits transfer systems in the Food and Nutrition Act, and it will also take the very important step of having work requirements for able- bodied adult individuals without dependents. We are not talking about someone with kids or taking Grandpa out of the nursing home. And it would require State agencies to operate work activation programs for eligible SNAP participants.

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