WASHINGTON, DC-Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) released the following statement regarding his vote against the "Farm Bill," which would have cut $20 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the program that provides financial assistance to 48 million Americans who could not otherwise afford groceries, while establishing new categories of subsidies for crops. The House Majority failed to push the plan through, with the bill defeated by a vote of 234 to 195.
"Today, I am proud that a majority of my colleagues defeated an attempt by House Republicans to take $20 billion in grocery money away from the millions of seniors and families with children who rely on food stamps to eat. Cuts to food stamps force families to choose between buying groceries and paying the heating bill or rent. That is no way to balance a budget, especially when simultaneously expanding subsidy opportunities for crop farmers. While I am sure that the House Majority will continue trying to ram through policies that force our nation’s most vulnerable to bear the brunt of our deficit burdens, I will continue fighting to protect nutritional assistance and other help for those who need it most.”