REP. MIKE THOMPSON VOTES AGAINST BILL CUTTING $40 BILLION FROM NUTRITION PROGRAMS
September 19, 2013
U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) today voted against H.R. 3102, a House Majority bill that would cut $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The cuts made in H.R. 3102 would take food assistance away from nearly 4 million Americans next year. Three-fourths of households receiving SNAP include a child, senior, or someone who is disabled. A record-high of one-in-five children, or 16 million children, struggle with hunger.
“This bill is staggeringly out of touch with what the American people want and need. Cuts of this magnitude take food out of the mouths of millions of Americans and doom any hope of compromise on a full five year extension of the Farm Bill,” said Thompson. “Instead of wasting time on bills like the one offered today by the House Majority, we should be working with the Senate on a compromise bill that is fair to our farmers and ranchers, incentivizes conservation, and protects hard working families, seniors and children from devastating cuts that will cause millions to go hungry.”
After a failed attempt to pass a Farm Bill with $20.5 billion in nutrition cuts, the House Majority passed a Farm Bill that, for the first time, did not address the food aid programs at all. H.R. 3012 is the House Majority's legislation to deal with the food aid programs they failed to address in the Farm Bill.
The legislation passed by the House today severally hurts the chances of a new Farm Bill being passed. The cuts in H.R. 3102 are almost ten times those in the Senate-passed Farm Bill, making any chance at bipartisan agreement on a Farm Bill nearly impossible.
The legislation cuts 210,000 children off of free school lunch and breakfast and jeopardizes food aid for an estimated 170,000 veterans.
H.R. 3102 passed by a vote of 217-210.
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
“This bill is staggeringly out of touch with what the American people want and need. Cuts of this magnitude take food out of the mouths of millions of Americans and doom any hope of compromise on a full five year extension of the Farm Bill,” said Thompson. “Instead of wasting time on bills like the one offered today by the House Majority, we should be working with the Senate on a compromise bill that is fair to our farmers and ranchers, incentivizes conservation, and protects hard working families, seniors and children from devastating cuts that will cause millions to go hungry.”
After a failed attempt to pass a Farm Bill with $20.5 billion in nutrition cuts, the House Majority passed a Farm Bill that, for the first time, did not address the food aid programs at all. H.R. 3012 is the House Majority's legislation to deal with the food aid programs they failed to address in the Farm Bill.
The legislation passed by the House today severally hurts the chances of a new Farm Bill being passed. The cuts in H.R. 3102 are almost ten times those in the Senate-passed Farm Bill, making any chance at bipartisan agreement on a Farm Bill nearly impossible.
The legislation cuts 210,000 children off of free school lunch and breakfast and jeopardizes food aid for an estimated 170,000 veterans.
H.R. 3102 passed by a vote of 217-210.
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
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Issues:Wine & Agriculture