[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 187 (Friday, December 7, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S15012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TEFAP EMERGENCY FUNDING

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, yesterday, I stood on the Senate floor and 
asked for emergency funding for the Nation's food banks. I asked for 
that funding because there are massive shortages of food bank supplies, 
empty shelves, and those shortages place at risk children, the elderly, 
and working families, people who have lost jobs, people who have had a 
string of bad luck, and families across this Nation.
  I spoke yesterday of Norm, an elderly man in Cleveland, who, after 
spending his few dollars on rent, on utilities, and medicine, has $19 
left. He needs the Cleveland Food Bank. The Cleveland Food Bank, I 
would add, was awarded the best food bank in the country last year, but 
it is running short, as are food banks everywhere in this country.
  I spoke yesterday of Christian, who has trained to be a nurse's 
assistant, and who just gave birth. She is unable to find a job as a 
nurse's assistant, even though she is well trained to do that. She runs 
short of food, and she relies on, as does Norm, neighborhood food 
programs, such as the Cleveland Food Bank and other church groups in 
greater Cleveland.
  In too many cases there is no dinner on the table. In too many cases 
there is no food at Christmas time. In too many cases there is just not 
enough food. We are the wealthiest Nation in the world. Yet we cannot 
feed our own people. This is an emergency. This is an outrage.
  Yesterday, I talked about emergency funding to overcome that 
shortage. We asked for $40 million until we pass the farm bill, which 
will have some dollars in it to provide some supply for these food 
banks. We found out that food banks are projecting they will run out of 
food in February, when originally they thought it would last until 
July.
  In case after case, food banks in Cleveland, in Columbus, in Toledo, 
and Cincinnati, food banks in the Chair's city of Baltimore, and food 
banks all over this country are running out of food. Grocery stores are 
contributing a little less this year, and the Government has not done 
its part.
  Yesterday, I talked about some $40 million in funding to overcome 
that shortage, and today I want to talk about how to pay for it. We can 
pay for it through shared sacrifice. The budget for Congress includes 
firewood for fireplaces in the Capitol, fireplaces, in most cases, that 
don't get used. When children are hungry, we can give up fireplaces. We 
can give up some travel and some new technology. We can make easy 
sacrifices to address a tragic need.
  The budget for Federal agencies includes annual buying sprees to 
exhaust whatever is left in departmental budgets. When children are 
hungry, buying sprees are offensive. We can sacrifice. We can pay for 
emergency funding for food banks by putting our heads together and 
shaving some less necessary spending from our own budgets and that of 
Federal agencies whose oversight is our responsibility. I am asking 
that we do that. Food banks need resources. We don't need firewood, we 
don't need buying sprees, and we can do without some other things. We 
need to help hungry people.
  I am going to propose a package of cuts to pay for an emergency 
increase in food bank funding. I hope every Member of this body 
supports me.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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