[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE FOODBANKS RELIEF ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TONY P. HALL

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 25, 1999

  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Food Banks 
Relief Act of 1999. The purpose of this bill is to help food banks meet 
sharp increases in the demand for their services. The bill responds to 
a steady stream of studies and reports--including my own surveys of 
emergency food providers in March 1998 and March 1999--pointing to 
alarming increases in requests for emergency food assistance, 
especially among the working poor, children, and the elderly. I am 
honored to be joined in introducing this legislation by my 
distinguished colleague and friend, Representative JoAnn Emerson of 
Missouri, who is a great champion of food banks.
  The 1996 welfare reform bill partially anticipated increased demand 
for charitable food assistance, when it mandated that $100 million from 
the food stamp program be used for commodity purchases for food banks, 
pantries and soup kitchens. However, that has proven inadequate. Food 
banks across the country report significant increases in requests for 
food, especially from the working poor. And just as the needs have 
grown, private donations have declined, as farmers, grocers, and others 
in the food industry have become more efficient and reduced the waste 
and overproduction that once helped stock food banks' shelves. Second 
Harvest, the nation's largest network of emergency food providers, 
estimates that public and private resources combined are only meeting 
about half the needs.
  The fact is that the private charitable sector is shouldering an 
increasing share of food assistance needs, and it is overwhelming their 
capacity. It is time that Congress and the Administration started 
responding more effectively by assisting food banks--and by tackling 
the problems that are sending hungry people to their doors. It is 
ridiculous to expect that we can cut $20 billion from the food stamp 
program, and provide only $100 million extra each year to the food 
banks that former food stamp recipients are turning to, without causing 
hunger to soar. That is exactly what has happened, and while broader 
improvements to the nutrition safety net are needed, hunger won't wait. 
This bill would deliver the immediate, targeted relief that is needed 
now by food banks that are too often forced to cut rations or turn 
people away for lack of food.
  The strong economy has helped perpetuate the myth that working people 
and senior citizens are sheltered from hunger. In fact, they are the 
main reason that the lines at food banks are growing. Children too 
dominate the roster of those food banks help: two out of five of their 
customers are children. In all, an astounding 25 million Americans are 
turning to food banks each month to help make ends meet and keep hunger 
at bay.
  There is no reason that the strongest economy in a generation cannot 
find the small sums needed to ensure no American goes hungry. We are 
not short of money: states alone have $3 billion piling up in the 
accounts they are supposed to be using to help make welfare reform 
work, and the federal government has a budget surplus for the first 
time in decades. We are not short of commodities: agriculture 
production has never been more bountiful. We are short only of 
political will, and the honor to lend a hand to the charities that are 
trying so hard to end the scourge of hunger in the richest nation in 
history.
  I hope that my colleagues will join me and Representative Emerson in 
supporting this bill.
  The text of the bill follows:

                                 H.R.--

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Food Banks Relief Act of 
     1999''.

     SEC. 2. AMENDMENT.

       Section 214 of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 
     U.S.C. 7515) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--(1) There is 
     authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 to purchase and 
     make available additional commodities under this section.
       ``(2) Not more than 15 percent of the amount appropriated 
     under paragraph (1) may be used for direct expenses (as 
     defined in section 204(a)(2)) incurred by emergency feeding 
     organizations to distribute such commodities to needy 
     persons.''.

     

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