Minnesota Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson, the committee’s ranking member, criticized the cuts as “a waste of time,” since the Democratic-controlled Senate won’t take up the Ryan plan anyway.

“The proposal before us is not serious,” Peterson said. “Taking a meat ax to nutrition programs that feed millions of hardworking families, in an effort to avoid defense cuts, is not a serious way to achieve deficit reduction. No wonder no one likes Congress.”

The Forum of Fargo Moorhead