The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“FOOD STAMP PRESIDENT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H580-H581 on Feb. 8, 2012.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
FOOD STAMP PRESIDENT
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) for 5 minutes.
Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I have to admit that when Newt Gingrich first used the phrase the ``food stamp President,'' I was outraged, but then I started looking at the facts. I did my homework. I crunched the numbers, and I have to admit, food stamp President might be on target.
I think we have to be willing to understand the numbers and speak the truth even when that truth might hurt. So I've come to the floor today with some facts and figures--all sourced and backed up--because I know that Newt Gingrich wouldn't have it any other way. So let's learn about the food stamp President.
Here are the facts:
It clearly shows that the food stamp President increased spending on food stamps by more than $19 billion. Let me repeat that: under the food stamp President, the U.S. increased its spending on food stamps by more than
$19 billion. That's a ``b.'' The source? The U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Here's fact number two. Under the food stamp President, the number of people using the food stamp program increased by 11 million people. The source? The USDA.
Here's fact number three. Even the amount of the benefit has increased under the food stamp President. The amount per benefit increased $27.38 per recipient. Not much you would say, $27. Guess what? The $27 increase per benefit is the largest increase that's occurred under any President in the last 30 years. Pretty dramatic, huh? What's the source of that? The USDA.
Now, let's just review for everybody again. Republicans and Democrats, let's all get together and review that the numbers don't lie. Under the Food Stamp President, spending increased by more than
$19 billion; the number of people using the program increased by 11 million people; and the amount of the benefit increased by a historic amount not seen in the last 30 years.
We may not like the facts, but sometimes the truth just hurts.
Here we have him, the food stamp President of the United States. Yes, George W. Bush is the Food Stamp President of the United States. Under the food stamp President, George Bush, we spent more, had more recipients, and gave each recipient more money for food.
Now, I know that some of you are saying, Luis, you aren't being fair. Aren't there some other food stamp Presidents out there? Okay. You're right.
Yet, under another food stamp President, spending increased by more than $9 billion, the number of recipients increased by 7 million, and the amount of the benefit increased by $17. Yes, it's showing who it is. Here it is. George Herbert Walker Bush was also the food stamp President. See, it runs in the family. Food stamp President, senior, and food stamp President, junior. It's hereditary. A rampant family disease that makes them just want to feed hungry poor people.
Now, I have to confess and make a confession today. I support the food stamp program. I think that SNAP--the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to call it by its actual name and not something that Newt Gingrich thinks is politically punchy--serves an important purpose. The purpose is largely to prevent children and old people from going hungry. SNAP doesn't provide them with some fancy perk from some out-of-control free spending program. It provides kids and old people with food. You can't redeem food stamps at Tiffany, which might be another reason why Newt Gingrich thinks it's so bad.
But I think that Americans want their people not to go hungry. Just in case I'm wrong, if Newt Gingrich met a food stamp President other than the one named George Bush, I want to thank Barack Obama today because he's also invested in SNAP. He's invested in nutrition for America's most vulnerable.
Here's another fact, the last one I'll make today, Mr. Speaker, and this one is for Newt Gingrich. Just in case his food stamp President name-calling was designed to make a political point that he wasn't quite so willing to come right out and say of the recipients whose race we know, 22 percent of SNAP recipients are black, 34 percent are white, because hunger knows no race or religion or age or political party. Hunger is color-blind, Mr. Gingrich.
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