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Column: Congressman Emanuel Cleaver talks about the Farm Bill

I rarely go to the House Floor to speak on an issue, for a lot of reasons (most of them are negative), because I didn’t come to Congress to make an enemy. I came to Congress to make a difference. Last week I went to the Floor to speak on the decades-long symbiosis between the urban core and the farm community.

Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D)
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D)

I was not there to put politics above productive policy, or ideology above the injured, or to foment division. I was not there to cower in capitulation, but to call for compromise. I believe that the bill we voted on last week did enormous damage not only to the body politic, but to this nation. And we, the elected leaders of the United States Congress – of the most powerful nation on this planet, have a duty to take care of our most vulnerable. This is not about the makers vs. the takers; this is about reforming farm programs, providing certainty for America’s farmers critical to our economy, expanding access to healthy food, and ensuring our most vulnerable — especially our children — do not go hungry. There are poor children in rural areas that I represent, and I will never turn my back on them, just as I will never turn my back on children in the urban core. This bill is not just going to create tension among Members of Congress, but among the people of this country who depend on us.  You depend on us.

The weak, the strong, the hurt, the hungry, the poor, the wealthy, and the in-between, we are Americans; we have to make sure we take care of everybody in this country. I will not, I shall not, I cannot be silent as Washington continues to divide the nation.  The people of this country deserve better. We deserve better.

You may not know this, but from 2007 to 2011, Saline County had 15% of households receiving SNAP benefits — formerly known as food stamps. Lafayette County had almost 11%, Ray County had almost 10%, and Jackson County, where Kansas City sits, had 12.8%. This is not a mark of shame; simply an acknowledgement that we are all in this together. So this is not about trying to favor one area of the country over another; this is about our interconnectedness. I was born in Waxahachie, Texas. My daddy sent my mother to college when I was in eighth grade. I never lived in a house with indoor plumbing until I was eight years old. I lived in public housing. My daddy struggled. With a little help, my daddy sent four children through college. We moved out of public housing.  My daddy lives in his own house right now in Waxahachie Falls, Texas. All people are asking for in some cases is just a little help — not a handout, but a hand up. And who can they turn to? I hope, I actually even pray that it’s the United States Congress.