H.R. 1465, the Assuring You Uniform Dietary Assistance, or AYUDA, Act, which will make food stamp benefits in the commonwealth the same as they are nationally.
“Our average per-person monthly benefit now is $88; while in Guam, which is part of the national program, the average is $208. Although I am a member of the Agriculture Committee, with jurisdiction over the program, getting the bill enacted will not be easy,” Sablan said.
“The new reality in the House of Representatives is to cut spending, not add costs. The Republican budget plan passed by the House on Friday, cuts agriculture programs by $178 billion over the next 10 years. And 70 percent of agriculture spending goes to food stamps.
“Republicans say the problem is that too many people are signing up for food assistance. But what choice is there? In the CNMI the poor economy and cuts to government hours have put many more people in the position where they need this help.
“The proper response is to grow the economy and retrain workers, not ration how much food they can have.
“Passage of the five-year farm bill, which is targeted for this Congress, offers a legislative opportunity; and my goal is to add AYUDA to the farm bill and improve benefits for the 9,000 people in the CNMI who rely on this help to put food on the table,” Sablan said.
