January 29, 2014
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s First District today released the following statement on the House passage of the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act:
“No family in this great country should go hungry. Today’s agreement, while increasing farm subsidies, cuts SNAP funding for 850,000 Americans resulting in a decrease of about $90 per month in food assistance. If you have ever taken the “Food SNAP Challenge” you know how difficult it is already to get nutritious meals for only $1.50. I believe that we can and should be doing more to end hunger in the U.S., and this cut is a step in the wrong direction. House Leadership has refused to bring a bill to the Floor to extend emergency unemployment insurance, and the SNAP cuts in the FARRM Act will further hurt families trying to get back on their feet.
“I remain committed to helping the millions of families who struggle to put food on the table every day. That is why I am currently working on a legislative proposal to address childhood hunger to ensure that our nation’s students have access to nutritious meals every day at school, on the weekends, and during long school breaks.
“Nonetheless, I am supportive of provisions in the FARRM bill to protect farm animals under existing state laws, and make it a federal crime to attend or bring a child under the age of 16 to an animal fighting event. The legislation will also extend Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) for a year, and take steps to strengthen conservation and wildlife protection programs. I am also pleased that the Conference Committee included funding for the Hunger-Free Communities Goal, a program I supported by offering an amendment for its inclusion to the June 2013 Farm Bill, that promotes efforts to reduce food insecurity at the community level.”