Congresswoman Beatty Votes NO on Republican Revised Farm Bill

Beatty votes NO on Republican revised Farm Bill

House Farm Bill strips away supplemental nutrition assistance program.

(Washington, D.C.) – For the first time in four decades, House Republicans reauthorized agricultural programs without including nutrition assistance. The Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, passed the House of Representatives today by a partisan vote of 216–208. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty released the following statement on its passage:

“Today, House Republicans supported increasing hunger in America. For decades, nutrition programs have been included as an essential portion of the Farm Bill reauthorization. To move forward with legislation that does not include funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a shameful abandonment of the most vulnerable in our society.”

“SNAP is America’s first line of defense against hunger. For many of the poorest Americans, SNAP is the only form of income assistance they receive. In 2011 alone, it helped to lift 4.7 million Americans above the poverty line, including 2.1 million children nationally, and without SNAP an estimated 59,450 children in Franklin County will live with the threat of hunger daily.”

“Today, I voted for fairness and compassion. Leaving the nutrition title out of the Farm Bill was simply heartless and self-serving. I will not turn my back on low-income families, children, seniors and the disabled and refuse to support a FARM bill that omits SNAP and threatens the lives of American families, children and seniors.”

Greg Beswick I Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-03) I District and Communications Director I 614.404.8477