Today, Congressman Xavier Becerra (CA-34), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, issued the following statement after voting against the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (H.R. 1947):
"The Farm Bill is a product of enormous importance to America's farmers, small businesses and consumers. Unfortunately, the bill before Congress today fell short of what's required to ensure that our farmers and small businesses prosper and that our consumers -- especially the poorest among us -- do not go hungry. Taking more than twenty billion dollars away from SNAP will not only endanger the lives of millions of low-income families but it will hamper consumer demand and our economic recovery. Instead of putting American families and our economy at risk, Congress should work together to find solutions that provide certainty to our farmers and to our families and moves our country forward."