[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 15, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1728]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 15, 1998

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Emergency 
Food Assistance Enhancement Act of 1998. My bill increases the 
mandatory commodity purchase account from $100,000,000 to $120,000,000 
and is still expected to save the taxpayers over $200,000,000 over the 
next 4 years.
  It is unfortunate, Mr. Speaker, that there is a need for food banks. 
Even though our farmer and ranchers are the most productive and 
efficient in the world, the need for food banks continues. Food banks 
often meet the needs of their communities by managing donations from 
the government and the private sector. Most government donations are 
the product of the emergency food assistance program. It is a unique 
program that has the ability to provide nutritious domestic agriculture 
products to needy Americans while at the same time providing support to 
the agriculture community. In the welfare reform bill, Congress made 
TEFAP commodity purchases mandatory because of the integral role this 
program has in the provisions of food assistance to needy families.
  This program is a quick fix, something to get families through tough 
times. It gives them the support they need, but it doesn't ensnare them 
into a cycle of dependency for which other federal assistance programs 
are infamous. TEFAP purchases also provide much needed support to the 
agriculture community. While other food assistance programs are much 
larger, TEFAP has a more direct impact for agriculture producers, while 
at the same time providing food for those in need.
  To pay for the $20,000,000 increase for the TEFAP program, this bill 
strikes the provisions for new funding and spending conditions in the 
Food Stamp Employment and Training (E+T) Program that were included in 
the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The bill gives TEFAP an additional 
$20,000,000 a year and returns the rest to the U.S. treasury. In 
addition, it strikes the mandate that 80% of both new and previous 
Employment and Training funds must be used to provide state work or 
training slots for able-bodied adults without dependents who are 
subject to the work requirements within three months of receipt of food 
stamps.
  Many states report that declines in the able bodied adults without 
dependents caseload has declined more dramatically than the overall 
food stamp caseload rate. In some states the able bodied adults without 
dependents caseload decline is ten times the rate of decline for the 
total food stamp caseload.
  Due to the declining number of able bodied adults without dependents 
cases, restrictions on state spending of federal Employment and 
Training funding are leading to dramatic imbalances in the amount of 
funds available and services to this population and the rest of the 
food stamp recipients. For example, the state of Texas estimates that 
it will have over 12 times more money available for able-bodied adults 
without dependents than for anyone else on food stamps. In real 
dollars, for example, that breaks down to $491 for a single 23 year old 
male that is on food stamps compared to just $40 for a 23 year old 
mother of four participating in the same program.
  The able-bodied adults without dependents constitute only 25% of all 
employment and training program participants yet 80% of all the 
employment and training money is reserved for them. It is obvious that 
the needs of the able bodied adult without dependents and everyone else 
in the Employment and Training programs would be better served if the 
states could address the needs of all participants on an equal basis 
and promote self-sufficiency for all recipients.
  Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful that the Emergency Food Assistance 
Enhancement Act will enjoy resounding and rapid support from the full 
House of Representatives. It is important that we increase authority 
for this important program and stop the wasteful spending on Food Stamp 
Employment and Training programs for people who refuse to participate. 
It is equally, if not more important, to send a message to the 
conferees assigned to the Agriculture Appropriations bill for fiscal 
year 1999 that TEFAP is a vitally important program and should be 
funded to its fullest extent.

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