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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) went before the House Rules Committee to offer an amendment repurposing the $70 billion in Republicans’ ICE and CBP bill. With her amendment, the legislation would instead reverse the SNAP cuts enacted under Republicans’ Big, Ugly Law. Below are excerpts from her testimony: On Trump’s Failed Economy and America’s Hunger Crisis: “We are 500 days into the Trump economy, and what are the American people facing? Inflation is at a 3-year high. Gas is over $4. Household debt is up $760 billion. The cost of bread is up. Fruits and vegetables. Ground beef is up 21% — and that’s before this administration screwed up on screwworms. “And now, because of those costs, because of Trump’s tariffs and war and broken economy, 1 out of 3 families are having a hard time putting enough food on the table. “We are the richest nation in the history of the world, and a third of our families are facing the pain, the indignity, and injustice of hunger. “So, what have Republicans done about it? Families have been kicked off of SNAP, the last line of defense between children and hunger. Every single Republican on this committee voted for it. “And we may disagree on plenty of policies and issues, but I don’t think a single one of you came to Congress to cut food programs that feed hungry children, and seniors, and veterans. On Her Amendment Reversing Republicans’ SNAP Cuts: “ICE’s budget is getting 8 times bigger than it was a year ago. And under this latest bill, it’ll be 12 times bigger. “What are we getting for that money? Terror among law-abiding, immigrant families. Protesters beaten up. Doors broken down without a warrant. And the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. “$70 billion is 7 times the annual budget of the FBI. It’s 100 times what we give the Office on Violence Against Women. Or, put another way, you could feed 30 million children with $70 billion. You could feed 30 million children a year. “So, let’s do something better for our American children. I’m offering a straightforward amendment. Instead of spending billions on terrorizing our communities, let’s reverse your SNAP cuts. Let’s fulfill our most basic moral obligation and keep our country’s children fed. “Widespread hunger is not inevitable. It is a choice. And I’m offering you the choice to do something about it. I urge you to take it.” On the Impact of Republicans’ SNAP Cuts: “We know from these cuts, 700,000 children have lost food benefits. And that’s only data from 12 states. “The idea that we are taking food away from kids to give it to detention centers, to detain children, this is so outrageous and cruel that it’s really hard to take in. “And what I have heard – and I’m sure you’ve heard the same – are dozens of moms in my district who just have this pit of fear in their gut that they are not going to be able to feed their children because of these cuts. And when they talk about their children eating first because they don’t have enough food. They put their kids to bed early so they may not notice that they’re hungry. These are decisions that American families are making so that we can do what — 12 times what the ICE budget was, for what? “We were told this would be the ‘worst of the worst,’ and now it is affecting the young and the innocent. It is an outrage. The fact that we have this bill before us again with increased funding is really — it’s hard to take in what the choices are this week.” On Republicans’ Decision to Enact SNAP Cuts: “This is a choice that has been made to fund tax cuts for the extremely wealthy, at the expense of feeding hungry people in our country. We can end hunger in this country, and that should be a shared goal. “I don’t believe any of you came here to hurt kids, to have them go hungry… And yet, here we are. Over the past year, since the Big, Ugly Law was passed, 4 million people have dropped off of SNAP participation. Because when you make a program difficult – a program that has a history of running in a highly efficient and reliable manner – real people get hurt. “These are real impacts. And we saw back in the Republican shutdown this fall. We saw a president who was willing to use hunger and SNAP benefits as a cudgel. It was one of the most cynical things I’ve ever seen. And the fear that lives with people continues on. We have to do better in this country, and this bill is a step in the wrong direction.” On Republicans’ Broken Promises: “It is just been shocking to me to watch that, at every single point, like the one we’re at this week with this supplemental budget, the American people don’t benefit. They are forgotten. Hardworking families who are telling us they are not making it in this economy are just not being thought of and having solutions that work for them. “It is the direct opposite of why they were told to vote for Donald Trump. He promised them, ‘I would lower costs on day one. I will not start new wars.’ I know he’s trying to rewrite that script, but the videos are out there. We know what he said. “At every single turn, he has made a decision to benefit himself, the billionaire class, his own family over hardworking Americans. “And now we have 60% of American families who are struggling to afford the basics? And today, we are being asked to come back and say, “another $70 billion for ICE.’ For what? For what? “What’s the plan? How does this help us secure borders? How does this help us make sure that we are doing right by people and bringing their costs down, whether it’s housing or groceries or electric bills? “You cannot take away the fundamental right of a family to get healthcare for their children and themselves and say, ‘We’ve got you in mind when we’re drafting these budgets.’ It’s all a shell game, and the American family is the loser. “We have to get back to rewarding hard work. There’s lots of talk about the K economy and unsustainable wealth disparities, but what it all boils down to is we’ve got to be on the side of American workers and fighting for them. We’ve got to be on the side of people who are working really hard and not feeling like they can keep their head above water. “And this bill is such a cynical betrayal of everything that we supposedly are trying to do. And when you have a bill that invests again in this deportation machine without a plan, without a strategy, how does this build security? Security for American families? “We want national security for them. That is a shared value. But security really starts by knowing you’re going to be able to feed your kids and take them to the doctor if they need to go. And make sure they have a good school that they can go to. And that you can find and afford childcare if you need it. These are the basics. “And Democrats have solutions… there’s just this cruelty that exists in going forward in continuing to fund ICE at the expense of all that the American people are telling us they need. It is hard to understand, and it’s impossible to justify.” View Whip Clark’s full testimony HERE . ###