Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz Outraged by Farm Bill Passage and Cuts to SNAP (Food Stamps) for Needy Seniors. Where were our Congressional Representatives?

NEWS FROM THE DESK OF SENATOR DIAZ

District 32 Bronx County, New York

Tel 718-991-3161

Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz Outraged by Farm Bill Passage and Cuts to SNAP (Food Stamps) for Needy Seniors. Where were our Congressional Representatives?

New York State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx), who serves as the Ranking Member of the New York State Senate Aging Committee, has released the following statement in response to today's passage of the Farm Bill (H.R. 2642) with cuts of about $8 billion from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called the Food Stamp Program - over the next 10 years.

"It is heartbreaking that almost 8 billion dollars in SNAP funds will be cut over the next 10 years, causing more suffering for vulnerable senior citizens, veterans, children and sick people. Our seniors have done so much for all of us - how can we take food from their plates?

I was sickened to read headlines that couched these cuts by the House of Representatives as "modest." How can anyone not be aggrieved that taking more food away from hungry people is anything except disgraceful.

I am disheartened that United States Representative Jose Serrano who is supposed to be representing my district - the poorest district in the nation - wasn't out there campaigning and rallying against this awful bill that will harm his already hungry constituents.

Like many Democrats from New York, Congressman Jose Serrano has no problem getting media attention for things he believes in: gay marriage, late-term abortion, the late Hugo Chavez, repealing the 22nd Amendment to end term limits for the US Presidency, and his views on building sports stadiums. While he voted NO on the Farm Bill, where was he during the past several months when Congressional leaders started to plan ways to take food away from hungry senior citizens and hungry children who live in the South Bronx?"

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