” I urge everyone to listen to real people who are struggling in poverty”, said Rep. McGovern.
On May 1, 2014 Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives for one minute regarding poverty and hunger in America.
“Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Chairman Paul Ryan held a hearing on poverty–a timely and necessary conversation. But the problem is that not one single person living in poverty was a witness at that hearing, and that is really a shame.
There are plenty of men and women, like Barbie Izquierdo or Tianna Gaines Turner from the Witnesses to Hunger, who should be invited here to describe what it is like to be hungry or cold simply because there isn’t enough money to heat a house and buy enough food to eat. They can describe for Mr. Ryan how difficult it is to stretch a SNAP allotment for the entire month and, most importantly, how hard it is to make ends meet with a job that pays an inadequate wage.
We need to hear from those who struggle with poverty and not just those think tank gurus. We need to hear what is working and what is not working on the ground in our communities.
Chairman Ryan‘s hearing missed the mark. When it comes to issues involving poverty and hunger, Mr. Speaker, this majority that runs this House doesn’t have a clue.
I urge everyone to listen to real people who are struggling in poverty. Perhaps if we did, this Congress wouldn’t be so cruel to poor people” said Rep. McGovern (source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov/).
Currently Rep. McGovern serving his ninth term in Congress, he serves as the second ranking Democrat on the powerful House Rules Committee, which sets the terms for debate and amendments on most legislation; and a member of the House Agriculture Committee. McGovern is also co-chair of both the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and the House Hunger Caucus.