[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 634 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 634
Recognizing July 30, 2008, as the 40th anniversary of the enactment of
the resolution establishing the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition
and Human Needs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 30, 2008
Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Kerry, Mr.
Sanders, Mrs. Lincoln, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Roberts, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Pryor,
Mr. Smith, Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Clinton, and Mr. Feingold) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
September 22 (legislative day, September 17), 2008
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing July 30, 2008, as the 40th anniversary of the enactment of
the resolution establishing the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition
and Human Needs.
Whereas, on April 26, 1968, after viewing the CBS Emmy-award winning documentary
``Hunger in America,'' Senator George McGovern introduced a resolution
to establish a Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs;
Whereas the resolution establishing the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human
Needs was enacted on July 30, 1968;
Whereas Senator George McGovern served as the Chairman of the Select Committee
on Nutrition and Human Needs from 1968 to 1977;
Whereas July 30, 2008, marks the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the
resolution establishing the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human
Needs, which later became the foundation of the current Subcommittee on
Nutrition and Food Assistance, Sustainable and Organic Agriculture, and
General Legislation Jurisdiction of the Senate Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry;
Whereas Senator George McGovern was committed to exposing the failure of Federal
food assistance programs to reach citizens lacking in adequate
quantities and quality of food;
Whereas Senators George McGovern and Robert Dole worked tirelessly in their
respective roles on the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs to
develop a bipartisan Federal response to hunger;
Whereas the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs played a key role in
educating Congress, the Federal Government, and the Nation at large
about the magnitude of hunger in the United States;
Whereas the work of the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs was vital
to reforming the Federal food stamp program, culminating in the passage
of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), which made the
program more efficient and more accessible to those most in need by
finally eliminating the requirement that Americans pay for a portion of
their food stamps;
Whereas the work of the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs was
essential to expanding the school lunch program established under the
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) and permanently
establishing the school breakfast program under section 4 of the Child
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773), the child and adult care food
program under section 17 of the National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.
1766), and the summer food service program for children under section 13
of that Act (42 U.S.C. 1761);
Whereas the work of the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs was
instrumental in the establishment of the special supplemental nutrition
program for women, infants, and children established by section 17 of
the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786) (WIC);
Whereas the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry remains
committed to continuing the important work begun by Senators George
McGovern and Robert Dole of providing a Federal response to hunger;
Whereas the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry provided a
record-level amount of nutrition funding in the Food, Conservation, and
Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-246; 122 Stat. 1651) to reform and
strengthen Federal nutrition assistance programs;
Whereas, through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-
246; 122 Stat. 1651), the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry made key improvements to the food stamp program,
including--
(1) increasing the food purchasing ability of low-income households by
accounting for food cost inflation;
(2) increasing the minimum benefit;
(3) encouraging retirement and education savings; and
(4) allowing families to account for child care costs in calculating
food assistance;
Whereas, through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-
246; 122 Stat. 1651), the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry helped to strengthen the domestic food assistance safety
net by providing significant funding to increase commodity purchases for
local area food banks;
Whereas, in 2008, more than 28,000,000 people in the United States participate
in the food stamp program;
Whereas, in 2008, more than 17,500,000 low-income children receive free or
reduced-price meals through the national school lunch program;
Whereas despite Federal food assistance programs, 35,500,000 people in the
United States, including 12,600,000 children, continue to live in
households considered to be food insecure;
Whereas children who live in households lacking access to sufficient food are
more likely to be in poorer physical health than children from food
secure households; and
Whereas children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of food insecurity
because undernutrition can have adverse impacts on emotional health,
behavior, school performance, and cognitive development: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes July 30, 2008, as the 40th anniversary of
the enactment of the resolution establishing the Senate Select
Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs;
(2) recognizes the substantial contributions the Select
Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs made in ensuring that
effective and efficient Federal food assistance programs were
accessible to those most in need;
(3) recognizes that hunger continues to be an issue
plaguing the United States; and
(4) supports the continued efforts of Federal, State, and
local governments and private non-profit organizations to
eradicate hunger in the United States.
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