Congressman Cohen's Statement on the Passage of the Farm Bill

“I am very pleased that the Congress today passed a bipartisan farm bill that will ease the strain of rising food prices for millions of families and commits the government to environmental conservation. The Farm Bill passed the House with a veto-proof margin of 318 to 106, and it is a giant first step in reforming America’s farm policies it will help greatly to assist Americans struggling with the high cost of groceries and gasoline.

$10.4 billion in new spending in the Farm Bill will go toward nutrition programs that will help 38 million American families afford healthy food like fresh fruits and vegetables. The Farm Bill also thankfully updates the food stamps program to reflect the current state of our economy, benefiting about 11 million people by 2012. The bill will also provide much-needed support to charitable emergency feeding organizations like the Memphis Food Bank and MIFA and help schools provide healthy snacks to students, with $1 billion for free fresh fruits and vegetables.

I have been fighting for more nutritional programs and additional food stamps benefits for lower-income families since I arrived in Congress, and I believe that this bill addresses many of these issues. Certainly, there is more work to be done to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable, nutritious food, but this bill is a great step in the right direction. I was proud today to vote with a veto-proof, bipartisan majority of my colleagues for this bill.”

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Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, (202) 225-3265/ (202) 368-9275 (mobile)
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, (202) 225-3265 / (202) 320-2817 (mobile)