{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://alceehastings.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363446", "Hastings and Bernice Johnson Send Letter Urging No Further Cuts to SNAP in the Farm Bill Conference Report", "2013-12-04", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Alcee Hastings", "H000324", "alceehastings.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, Representatives Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) sent the following letter to Congressman Collin Peterson, Ranking Democratic Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, and Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, opposing additional cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the 2013 Farm Bill conference report. (Please see below and attached a copy of the letter). \r\nJoining Hastings and Johnson in signing the letter were (19): Representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Adam Smith (D-WA), Robert A. Brady (D-PA), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Janice D.\u00a0 Schakowsky (D-IL), Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU),\u00a0 Ra\u00fal M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Henry C. \u201cHank\u201d Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH), and Jared Huffman (D-CA).\r\nDecember 4, 2013\r\nThe Honorable Debbie Stabenow  \r\nChairwoman  \r\nSenate Committee on Agriculture  \r\n328A Russell Building  \r\nWashington, DC 20510\r\nThe Honorable Collin Peterson  \r\nRanking Member  \r\nHouse Committee on Agriculture  \r\n1301 Longworth Building  \r\nWashington, DC 20515\r\nDear Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Peterson: \r\nWe write to express our strong opposition to reductions in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as part of any reconciliation between the House and Senate versions of the 2013 Farm Bill. We believe SNAP is an indispensable program for the nearly 50 million Americans that rely on it, and as the Conference Committee works towards a final version of the Farm Bill, we urge you to oppose a final conference report that would make hunger in America worse.\r\nAs you are aware, an $11 billion cut to SNAP recently took effect after expanded funding within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 expired on November 1, 2013. These cuts will negatively impact one in every seven Americans. For millions of struggling families, seniors, children, and disabled Americans, this reduction in funding will effectively keep food off of the table. More than 80 percent of SNAP participants already live in poverty, and it is estimated that this cut alone will force beneficiaries of the program to forego up to 21 meals every single month. \r\nSpeaker of the House John Boehner and some Members in the House of Representatives have already indicated their desire for additional cuts to SNAP. Just two months ago, H.R. 3102, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013, passed the House on a party line vote, slashing an additional $39 billion funding from SNAP \u2013 nearly 10 times the amount agreed to in the bi-partisan compromise passed in the Senate. We believe cuts of this level would be catastrophic for the families that rely on SNAP, as well as the many at risk groups that rely on the program. \r\nWe are particularly alarmed at the impact that reductions in SNAP would have on Americans living in poverty or without a home. Homeless and impoverished Americans already struggle to make ends meet on a day to day basis, and for some, everyday life is a struggle for survival. \r\nEvery day, homeless Americans face constant instability and must cope with difficult and often unhealthy lifestyles. For those living without permanent housing, everyday life is extremely difficult. Storing and preparing food is nearly impossible, and much of the homeless population relies on temporary shelters and soup kitchens to survive. For some, panhandling or scavenging through the trash is the only way to provide food for the day. SNAP benefits provide these individuals with a limited opportunity to obtain nourishment, and cutting funding for the program will only add to the difficulties these individuals face. We believe that we must do all we can to ease the burdens faced by these individuals, starting with providing basic nutritional support, to give as many of them as possible a chance to re-enter society.\r\nAdditionally, one of our nation\u2019s national priorities must be to ensure that impoverished families and individuals currently on the edge of homelessness do not end up without shelter. For many families with limited resources living close to or at the poverty level, the loss of SNAP benefits would severely increase daily hardships. For many of these families, cuts to food benefits will force them to choose between food and rent, or push them out of the SNAP program altogether. Undoubtedly, this will result in an increased number of homeless Americans. \r\nWe are aware that any compromise proposed by the conference committee will need to pass both Chambers of Congress, which will not be possible without bipartisan cooperation. This only underscores the importance of not resorting to drastic programmatic cuts to SNAP in the name of fiscal responsibility. There are most certainly other ways to cut our national deficit that do not result in 50 million empty stomachs. \r\nOnce again, we urge you to oppose reductions in SNAP funding that make hunger worse in any reconciliation between the House and Senate versions of the 2013 Farm Bill. Thank you for your consideration in this important matter. \r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n    \r\n        \r\n            Sincerely,\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n        \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n        \r\n            Alcee L. Hastings\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            Eddie Bernice Johnson\r\n            Member of Congress\u00a0\r\n        \r\n        \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n        \r\n            John Conyers \r\n            Member of Congress\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            Charles B. Rangel\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n        \r\n        \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n        \r\n            Rosa L. DeLauro\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            Luis Gutierrez\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n        \r\n        \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n        \r\n            Adam Smith\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            Robert A. Brady\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n        \r\n        \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n        \r\n            Gregory W. Meeks\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            Janice D.\u00a0 Schakowsky\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n        \r\n        \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n        \r\n            Madeleine Z. Bordallo\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            Ra\u00fal M. Grijalva\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n        \r\n        \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n        \r\n            Yvette D. Clarke\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            Kathy Castor\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n        \r\n        \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n        \r\n            Keith Ellison\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            Henry C. \u201cHank\u201d Johnson, Jr.\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n        \r\n        \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n        \r\n            Niki Tsongas\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            Ted Deutch\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n        \r\n        \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n        \r\n            Suzanne Bonamici\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            Carol Shea-Porter\r\n            Member of Congress\r\n        \r\n        \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n        \r\n            Jared Huffman\u00a0 \r\n            Member of Congress\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        \r\n    \r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nCongressman Alcee L. Hastings serves as Senior Member of the House Rules Committee, Ranking Democratic Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Co-Chairman of the Florida Delegation. \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://alceehastings.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363446"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8989507332444191, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}