Ranking Member Scott Slams McCarthy's Threat to Take Food Assistance Away from Hungry Families in Debt Limit Negotiations
WASHINGTON–House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott today released the below statement following reports that Speaker Kevin McCarthy would allow the U.S. Federal government to default on its debt and bankrupt the American economy unless food assistance is stripped from vulnerable households.
"It has been reported that Speaker McCarthy has said he will bankrupt our country if we do not take food away from hungry Americans. That is his ‘red line.’ Withholding food assistance for vulnerable communities, including older Americans, households with children, veterans, and people with disabilities, is beyond cruel—it is grotesque and unchristian.
"Taking food away from low-income households under the guise of ‘work requirements’ does not create jobs. It does not encourage work. It only serves to make life harder for people raising children, people with disabilities, and low-wage workers who might lose a job or have unpredictable and inconsistent hours. If Speaker McCarthy is serious about improving the lives of everyday Americans, he should propose a budget that invests in high-quality job training programs, increasing access to affordable and dependable child care, and helping low-income people access reliable transportation to and from work.
"Speaker McCarthy has shown his debt limit ‘plan’ has no heart. And, he is using food for hungry Americans as a bargaining chip."
