Agriculture

In a time that the role of government, the size of government and the very function of government if being questioned at unprecedented levels, I believe that it is important that we also analyze the vital role government plays to help improve our lives and increase safety and access to quality medication.

Even though the economy continues to show signs of a recovery to many people continue to on hang by a thread. Families are barely making ends meet, and in many cases the reason they still are putting food on the tableor do not have to choose between paying bills or food---is because food programs such as SNAP and WIC are there to help.

This agency has been the largest contributor to the poor and hungry. And in my opinion will lead the way forward as the provider of nutritional food for a healthier America. For a century and a half, the USDA has been there to help rural Americans. It has been there to protect our nation's food supply. And it has been there to offer food assistance to families when they are most in need. Today, the mission of the USDA has never been more important.

I am relieved that at a time that families continue to struggle to make ends meet, this bill will protect vital domestic food programs that are keeping food on the tables of millions of families. The bill also makes critical investments in international food programs that are key to international stability and a successful foreign policy.

So I was prepared to consider a lean bill. But this bill goes beyond lean.

Everyday people across the country leave their homes in search of work, only to return at the end of the day with more worries and less hope. At a time that people continue to struggle to make ends meet, Republicans want to cut funding to WIC and other food programs that are helping put food on the table.

Besides slashing our farm programs and our food programs, the bill also severely limits our investment in safe food and safe drugs. The FDA will take a 21% cut from the President's proposed budget. This has real consequences: This cut will result in the loss of more than 2,000 public health professionals.

An additional 13% cut in allocations to the Agriculture bill will not only further limit our government's ability to safeguard our nation's food supply but will severely effect families still struggling to make ends meet.