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Congressional Daily Record
This section captures a floor statement or debate entry. It mentions members such as Jim Costa.
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July 14, 2026
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Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. Costa of California was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, as our Nation continues to commemorate our 250th anniversary, we are reminded that the ideals on which America was founded are as critical today as they were then: a nation built on a promise that every person has dignity and that no one should be left behind—the land of opportunity.
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, funding for the USDA and other ancillary purposes.
Agriculture's budget by more than $1 billion while farm bankruptcies are increasing and rising costs to farmers as it relates to energy costs, fertilizer costs, et cetera, are having a dramatic impact. Certainly, in California, bankruptcies are up from last year by 44 percent. That is devastating.
volatile markets, and pest and disease threats. That is a normal part of farming, but this doesn't meet the moment. It makes it harder. It makes it harder because the USDA is part of a safety net for American agriculture. For hungry families, it is even crueler. It takes food off the table.
intended to commemorate the greatness of our country, that we are stripping food from the most vulnerable Americans and calling it a positive trend. Give me a break.
children—children, not criminals, not fraudsters. They are children. Over 700,000 kids have already lost their food benefits, and that is only in the 12 States currently reporting the child-level data. The real number, I think, is far worse.
of the week and oftentimes making difficult choices between food or medicine for their children.
We are talking about our neighbors. They are Americans living during the celebration of this 250th year of this Republic.
economy. It has to do with people losing their benefits that they are entitled to. Yet, many of my Republican colleagues cut SNAP and nutrition assistance twice. They have done it twice, once in the big, not so beautiful bill, in my view, and they have done it a second time in this ag appropriations that was passed last month.
5.6 percent, or another $6 billion below last year's enacted measure. On top of that, they are cutting fruit and vegetable benefits from the Women, Infants, and Children's program—fruits and vegetables, healthy aspects of our diet.
underserved communities to put fresh, healthy food on the table. I voted “no” on that bill.
most vital, richest agricultural production anywhere in the country or the world, yet we have a significant amount of people who are food insecure. Almost 30 percent of households in my congressional district rely at some time or another on SNAP. It is one of the highest ratios in the State.
disability. These families are not living large, believe me. They are barely surviving.
lifting people up and not taking food off their dinner tables because food in America is a national security issue, as I like to say. It is an international security issue when we look at food hunger around the globe and cuts that have
centuries later we would be debating whether or not hungry children deserve to eat.
Fraud is a crime, but hunger is not. Let us honor the values of this anniversary.