Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA)
LEOMINSTER, MA – As Donald Trump prepares to deliver his first address to Congress since returning to office, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), one of Congress’s leading voices in the fight against hunger, delivered a powerful speech from Ginny’s Helping Hand, a local food pantry in Massachusetts, calling out Trump and Republicans in Congress for their attacks on food assistance programs.
“Tomorrow, Donald Trump will stand at that podium and lie,” McGovern said in his remarks, which were released today. “He’ll lie about the economy—claiming everything is going great, even as more people fall behind. He’ll lie about helping workers—as he hands out more tax breaks to billionaires. And he probably won’t even mention hunger—even though 47 million Americans now struggle to put food on the table.”
McGovern slammed the drastic food assistance cuts being pushed by Trump and congressional Republicans, warning that they would take food away from children, seniors, veterans, and working families. McGovern noted that a majority of people who are on SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) who are able to work do work.
Standing among shelves of food that will soon be distributed to struggling families, McGovern shared powerful stories from Massachusetts residents who rely on SNAP to get through the month—including a 79-year-old veteran in Springfield, a family from Worcester, and a mom in Fall River—who all fear they will not be able to afford to put food on the table if Republican buget cuts reduce benefits for their families.
“At the end of the day, a budget is a moral document. And this Republican budget? Let us just call it what it is. Republicans are stealing from the American People so they can give more tax breaks to their billionaire donors. They are taking food from hungry kids, seniors, and Americans with disabilities so they can help finance more giveaways to greedy corporations. And I believe that is just plain evil,” said McGovern at the conclusion of his remarks.
Remarks as Delivered:
Hi everyone, this is Congressman Jim McGovern from Massachusetts. I’m here at an incredible food pantry here in Leominster, Massachusetts called Ginny’s Helping Hand.
Tomorrow, Donald Trump will deliver his State of the Union Address.
He’ll lie about the economy—claiming everything is going great, even as more people fall behind.
He’ll lie about helping workers—as he hands out more tax breaks to billionaires.
And he probably won’t even mention hunger—even though 47 million Americans, many who voted for him—now struggle to put food on the table.
But the reality is that just two months into his presidency, hunger in America is getting worse. Food prices are sky-high. People can’t afford eggs… if they can even find them on the bare shelves. And food pantries like the one I’m standing in are overwhelmed.
So I want to take just few minutes to talk to you about the state of hunger in America—and what we can do about it…
…you know, behind me on the shelves you will see all kinds of nutritious food that will soon be going home to food insecure families in this community.
The staff and volunteers who work here are incredible. This place is amazing, and it keeps people from going hungry.
Ginny’s is one of the thousands of food pantries across America that step in to provide emergency food so that people don’t go without.
Many of the customers who go to pantries like this work—they just earn so little that they need help making ends meet.
This food is a lifeline for so many—but the reality is that hunger is such a big problem that charity alone is not enough.
Thankfully, over the years, the American people have created federal programs to help make sure none of our neighbors fall through the cracks—especially children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
But those programs are now under threat. And the threat is coming from Trump and Republicans in Congress who want to betray the middle class in order to decimate the very funding that helps families keep food on the table when times get tough.
Last week, they rammed through a budget that sets the stage for some of the most drastic cuts to food assistance we’ve ever seen.
Medicaid—which helps people here in Massachusetts access healthcare and pay for food—along with SNAP, school meals, WIC, and funding for food banks are all on the chopping block.
Let that sink in. Republicans want to take food away from children… from seniors… from veterans… from regular people just trying to get by.
Their budget will dramatically cut food benefits for everyone on the program. We are talking about a program which already provides just a few dollars a day for food…
…which means a lot of those people simply won’t have enough food to get through the month.
And they will turn to places like Ginny’s to make up the difference.
Which is why it is particularly cruel that the Republican budget would also cut the funding that fills the shelves of this pantry. That’s more than just a betrayal—it’s a profoundly immoral choice to let people go hungry.
The average food benefit is just over $2 per person, per meal—a little over $6 dollars a day.
And a majority of people on food benefits are children, seniors, and Americans with disabilities. Of the remainder, the majority who can work, do work.
Food prices are sky high. And what has Donald Trump done to bring them down? Nothing. Not a single damn thing. Instead, he and Republicans are cutting food assistance. It’s a Republican betrayal of the middle class—and it’s a betrayal on a scale like we’ve never seen before.
Listen to the voices of the people whose benefits are on the chopping block…
- A 79-year-old veteran and his wife in Springfield, Massachusetts who says, “We have diabetes and I have heart issues. With SNAP we are able to buy healthy food for our conditions. We would be forced to buy food that is cheaper… food that is high in sugar and sodium. We should not be in the predicament.”
- A parent in Worcester who says that, “SNAP already isn’t enough, I still need to go to the food pantry or skip meals so my daughters’ meals can stretch further. The only bill I am able to manage always is my rent but I am behind on my electric bill, my phone bill, and my car payment. I work 40 hours a week which is as much as I possibly can with also being a single mother….I am also currently in school trying to get my bachelors to hopefully be able to afford everything some day. SNAP such a blessing to my family it helps tremendously.”
- A mom of two young kids in Central Massachusetts who wants the world to know that SNAP already isn’t enough.She says, “I still have to go to the food pantry. I still skip meals so my daughters’ food lasts longer. I work full-time, I’m in school trying to get my bachelor’s, and I’m behind on my bills. SNAP is a blessing.”
These are not outliers. This is the reality for millions of hungry people in this country.
Families who work hard. Seniors who just want dignity. Veterans who served their country. Parents who have done everything right—yet still struggle in the checkout line to buy enough food for their kids.
Trump and Republicans are taking good care of their billionaire buddies—while these hungry families are struggling. And I think that’s just wrong.
So when he stands at that podium and tells you everything is great, remember this—Trump is setting up an economywhere billionaires feast and millions of our fellow American go hungry.
Let me just end with this. I need you in this fight. I need you to find your Senators and Representatives and tell them toreject these cruel cuts. We need to let them know we are watching, and we are not going to let them get away with taking food away from hungry people.
At the end of the day, a budget is a moral document. And this Republican budget? Let us just call it what it is. Republicans are stealing from the American People so they can give more tax breaks to their billionaire donors. They are taking food from hungry kids, seniors, and Americans with disabilities so they can help finance more giveaways to greedy corporations. And I believe that is just plain evil.
I will keep fighting, but I need you with me. Together, let us build a world where food is a human right. And if we do that, I really believe in my heart of hearts that we can end hunger now.