Washington, D.C. - Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to examine how retailers effectively partner with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to provide food assistance to low-income families. This hearing is a continuation of the committee’s top-to-bottom review, the Past, Present, and Future of SNAP, to hear various perspectives on ways in which the program can ... Read more »
Remarks as prepared: I want to welcome our witnesses to today’s hearing and thank them for taking the time to share their perspectives as retailers serving SNAP recipients. This hearing, like those before, builds upon the committee’s top-to-bottom review of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, so as the committee approaches reauthorization, we will be positioned to make meaningf... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, the House Agriculture Committee completed its two-day examination of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) organization and program administration. Over the past two days, members of the committee heard from 25 undersecretaries, administrators, and other department officials across USDA’s seven mission areas, on a variety of topics, which included an accounting for ... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, the Committee on Agriculture began Part I of a two-day hearing series examining U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organization and program administration. USDA officials from the Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services (FNCS), Food Safety (FS), and Rural Development (RD) mission areas served as witnesses. This hearing series follows a similar series the committee held w... Read more »
Remarks as prepared: Today and tomorrow, we have before us most of the undersecretaries of the Department of Agriculture. Each of these witnesses is responsible for an important mission area within USDA. Accompanying our witnesses are administrators who manage agencies and programs within these larger mission areas. These folks lead the network of nearly 100,000 USDA employees who carry out the la... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to review the various options available to states when implementing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Members heard from a panel of witnesses who shared the current options available to states when implementing the program and how those options allow states to respond to the needs of their respective popul... Read more »
Remarks as prepared: I want to welcome our witnesses to today’s hearing and thank them for being here as we continue our review of the Past, Present, and Future of SNAP. This is our twelfth hearing within this series, and we have learned a tremendous amount about the complexities of SNAP and even more about the diverse individuals and communities that it serves. As we continue our review, we will ... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: I am pleased that Secretary Vilsack could join us for this annual hearing to assess the economic conditions in farm country. Thank you for joining us, Mr. Secretary. In assessing the situation, I think it is fair to say that America’s farmers and ranchers are falling on some very hard times right now. Worse yet, I don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. To q... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-2), Chairwoman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, held a hearing to review incentive programs aimed at increasing low-income families’ purchasing power of fruits and vegetables. Members heard from a variety of witnesses on how incentive programs are increasing the consumption of healthier foods, along with the challenges and oppor... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-2), Chairwoman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, held a hearing to examine the various challenges faced by low-income seniors, veterans, and active-duty military. This hearing is a continuation of the full-scale review of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as the Past, Present, and Future of SNAP. The sub... Read more »
