[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 177 (Thursday, November 15, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2451-E2452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       FEDERAL FOOD DONATION ACT

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                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2007

  Mrs. EMERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Federal 
Food Donation Act of 2007. As we prepare to return home to spend time 
with our families and give thanks

[[Page E2452]]

for the blessings we have received, I would ask that we pause a moment 
and think of those less fortunate among us. Yesterday we learned from 
USDA's annual hunger survey that more than 35 million people in the 
United States are food insecure; they either suffer from hunger or must 
sacrifice other essential items for food. Tragically, of these 35 
million individuals, 12 million are children. Unfortunately, the number 
of the hungry among us is increasing. While we, as a government, are 
taking steps in the right direction, we have a long way to go.
  One step we can take is to pass the Federal Food Donation Act, which 
I introduced today. This legislation would require executive agencies 
who serve food on their premises to encourage the donation of excess 
food to non-profit organizations. Such ``food rescue'' efforts can be 
particularly useful to the more than 43,000 soup kitchens and food 
pantries on the front lines battling hunger. As we have celebrated 
Veterans Day this week, it is important to remember that one out every 
four homeless individuals is a veteran. Often, the beneficiaries of 
food rescue efforts serve the homeless community and these veterans.
  I would like to particularly thank the dedicated individuals at Rock 
and Wrap It Up! for their efforts in conceiving and promoting this 
legislation. This non-profit organization has specialized in food 
recovery and has been ``thinking outside the box'' in the battle 
against hunger for years. I appreciate their efforts and look forward 
to working with them for passage of this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, the bottom line we must be aware of is this: the cost 
of food is increasing. As we prepare our Thanksgiving dinners we will 
likely hear a lot about the impact of inflation, rising transportation 
costs, and increasing commodity prices on our family budgets. The 
effects of rising prices have already been felt by our partners who 
serve the hungry. More resources are clearly needed. The Federal Food 
Donation Act may be a small step in the overall battle against hunger, 
but it is one worth taking.

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