Farm Bill Conference

Floor Speech

(Mr. McGOVERN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, get this. The Secretary of Agriculture has publicly stated that he is not enthusiastic about increasing spending for nutrition programs above the $9.5 billion currently being discussed as part of the farm bill conference. I have news for the Secretary. Families going to food banks aren't enthusiastic about their struggles. People applying for food stamps aren't enthusiastic about the tough choices they are forced to make because their food stamp benefit isn't keeping up with the price of milk. Seniors aren't enthusiastic about having to take their medicines on an empty stomach.

The Secretary should get out more into the real world and meet with some of these families. $9.5 billion is simply not enough, not when families are choosing between food and heat; not when the minimum food stamp benefit is still $10 a month, unchanged since 1977; not when the price of milk eats more of the food stamp dollar today, than last year, simply because food stamps aren't indexed for inflation.

The farm bill conferees should do the right thing and properly fund the nutrition title. Anything less is shameful.

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