,,iv  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #ij  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of 
,,representatives  ,february #bh1 #bjac 
,mr4 ,mc,govern 7for himself1 ,ms4      
,fudge1 ,ms4 ,de,lauro1 ,mr4 ,george    
,miller of ,california1 and ,mr4        
,deutch7 submitted the following        
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,agriculture  ,,resolution
  ,expressing the sense of the ,house of
 ,representatives that the ,committee on
 ,agriculture should not propose any    
reduction in the availability or amount 
of benefits provided under the          
supplemental nutrition assistance       
program 7,,snap7 in effect under the    
,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh1 and 
that the ,house of ,representatives     
should reject any proposed legislation  
that includes any provisions that reduce
 the availability or amount of benefits 
provided under ,,snap4  ,whereas hunger 
is a serious threat to individual       
dignity1 productivity1 learning1        
economic prosperity1 health1 and        

development2 ,whereas food insecurity   
means that people face an ongoing       
struggle against hunger2 ,whereas #ej4a 
million people lived in food insecure   
households in #bjaa2 ,whereas the       
supplemental nutrition assistance       
program 7,,snap71 established in the    
,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh1 is  
the nation's first line of defense      
against hunger and food insecurity2     
,whereas ,,snap served more than #dg4e  
million individuals in ,october #bjab2  
,whereas half of all new ,,snap         
participants receive benefits for #aj   
months or less and #gd percent of such  
participants left the program entirely  
within #b years2 ,whereas the average   
,,snap household has income slightly    
less than #ei percent of the applicable 
poverty level1 and #hc percent of all   
benefits go to households with a child1 
elderly individual1 or disabled         
individual2 ,whereas the ,,snap benefits
 average less than #a4ej per individual 
per meal2 ,whereas #hc percent of       

families on ,,snap make less than       
#bd1jjj a year for a family of #d2      
,whereas the average ,,snap benefit per 
household is approximately #bfg per     
month2 ,whereas ,,snap participation    
rises when the economy is weak2 ,whereas
 millions of ,americans need to turn to 
,,snap as a way to feed themselves and  
their families2 ,whereas ,,snap would   
have lifted #c4i million ,americans1    
including #a4g million children1 out of 
poverty in #bjaa if its benefits were   
included in the official measures of    
income and poverty2 ,whereas ,,snap is  
an efficient public-private partnership 
that runs on the regular channels of    
commerce--regular retail food stores and
 electronic benefit transfer 7,,ebt7    
systems2 ,whereas ,,snap achieved the   
highest level of overall payment        
accuracy in the history of the program  
at #if4b percent2 ,whereas the national 
overpayment error rate1 defined as the  
percentage of ,,snap benefit dollars    
issued in excess of the amounts for     

which households are eligible1 fell to  
#b4ii percent2 ,whereas the national    
underpayment error rate1 defined as the 
percentage of ,,snap benefit dollars    
issued that are lower than the amounts  
for which households are eligible1 was  
less than #a4j percent2 ,whereas every  
dollar in new ,,snap benefits generates 
up to #a4gi in economic activity2       
,whereas each #a billion increase in    
,,snap benefits is estimated to create  
or maintain #ah1jjj full-time equivalent
 jobs1 including #c1jjj farm jobs2      
,whereas in the #aabth ,congress1 the   
,committee on ,agriculture of the ,house
 of ,representatives reported ,h4,r4    
#fjhc1 the ,federal ,agriculture ,reform
 and ,risk ,management ,act 7,,farrm71  
which proposed to reauthorize ,,snap2   
,whereas the ,congressional ,budget     
,office 7,,cbo7 estimated that ,h4,r4   
#fjhc as reported would cut ,,snap by   
#af4e billion over #aj years2 ,whereas  
,h4,r4 #fjhc would cut ,,snap provisions
 for the categorical eligibility 7,cat  

,el7 option1 for the standard utility   
allowance 7,,sua7-,low ,income ,home    
,energy ,assistance ,program 7,,liheap7 
connection 7heat and eat71 and for the  
,state performance fund 7performance    
bonuses72 ,whereas ,cat ,el1 heat and   
eat1 and performance bonuses help       
,states provide ,,snap benefits to needy
 people through streamlined procedures  
that cut down on red tape and minimize  
,state administrative expenses2 and     
,whereas congregations1 food banks1 and 
other charities are struggling to meet  
existing elevated need and would be     
unable to meet the significant increase 
in need that would be caused by cuts in 
,,snap of the kinds provided in ,h4,r4  
#fjhc as reported in the #aabth         
,congress by the ,committee on          
,agriculture3 ,now1 therefore1 be it    
,that it is the sense of the ,house of  
,representatives that in this ,congress 
the ,committee on ,agriculture should   
not propose any reduction in the        
availability or amount of benefits      

provided under the supplemental         
nutrition assistance program 7,,snap7 in
 effect under the ,food and ,nutrition  
,act of #bjjh1 and that the ,house of   
,representatives should reject any      
proposed legislation that includes any  
provisions that reduce the availability 
or amount of benefits provided under    
,,snap4