El Paso, Jun 17, 2011 - Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) voted against Republican efforts that once again propose cuts to programs that serve poor and low-income families, particularly women and children. 
 
H.R. 2112 calls for major reductions in funding to critical programs such as the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) which serves predominantly low-income seniors, the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) which works with states to assist food banks, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The legislation passed a Republican-led House by a vote of 217 to 203. Not a single Democrat voted in support of this legislation.

WIC provides assistance to new mothers, babies, and children under five who have been identified as nutritionally at risk. Each year, nearly 50% of the new born babies in the United States rely on WIC. In El Paso alone, nearly 54,000 children and women suffer from food hardship and depend on WIC to make ends meet.

WIC has been an essential nutrition assistance program and it has been proven to prevent many costly conditions that result from hunger and malnutrition. Cutting WIC and other crucial programs will disproportionately harm many of El Paso’s needy families.

"It is shameful to cut funding that provides bare necessities for poor children and infants, while allowing debt-financed tax breaks for the richest two percent of Americans,” said Congressman Reyes. "Slashing funds for programs that help put food on the table for struggling families, while giving millions in tax breaks to millionares is not the way we should reduce the deficit."