[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 24, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H5643-H5644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    FOOD RESEARCH AND ACTION CENTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, ending hunger shouldn't be controversial. 
It shouldn't be something that we ignore but, rather, a goal that we 
embrace. Ending hunger is an achievable goal; it is something that we 
can do if we muster the political will to do so.
  Government--Federal, State, and local--will play a large role in 
ending hunger. The problem is too big and too much a part of our basic 
values for government institutions not to get involved.
  We already created the programs that will help us end hunger: SNAP, 
WIC, and school meals, just to name a few. Many of these programs are 
underfunded and need to be responsibly updated for the 21st century. 
The truth is that these programs do real good in our cities, towns, and 
communities, and they are working effectively and efficiently.
  But government can't do it alone, and that is why I am proud to stand 
with my friends in the antihunger community in support of their many 
efforts to end hunger. One such group doing fantastic work to end 
hunger now is the Food Research and Action Center, known as FRAC.
  FRAC is a tremendous organization, but it is not the typical group 
that first comes to mind when people think about antihunger 
organizations. FRAC is not a food bank or a food pantry. Run by my good 
friend Jim Weill, FRAC works with hundreds of national, State, and 
local nonprofit organizations, public agencies, corporations, and labor 
organizations to address hunger, food insecurity, and their root 
cause--poverty.
  FRAC conducts research to document the extent of hunger in America, 
its impact, and effective solutions. It seeks improved Federal, State, 
and local public policies that will reduce hunger and undernutrition, 
monitors the implementation of laws, and serves as a watchdog of 
programs.
  FRAC provides coordination, training, technical assistance, and 
support on nutrition and antipoverty issues to a nationwide network of 
advocates, service providers, food banks, program administrators and 
participants, and policymakers. Lastly, FRAC conducts

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public information campaigns to help promote changes in attitudes and 
policies.
  FRAC helps frame the debate in Congress and State legislatures, 
educating elected officials and their staff, and they help implement 
antihunger programs at the local levels. FRAC does everything but 
literally hand food to hungry Americans. The work they do has resulted 
in stronger programs and more eligible people receiving food 
assistance.
  Mr. Speaker, the Federal antihunger safety net is excellent, but it 
is not perfect. It is vast, but it is not comprehensive. FRAC works 
with policymakers and government officials to make these programs 
better, to ensure that no hungry person is left without food.
  FRAC was a leader in our fight to save the Heat and Eat program in 
the recently enacted farm bill. It has stood strong in the fight to 
ensure that everyone gets breakfast at school and food during the 
summer, and FRAC has also fought back on antinutrition riders that 
House Republicans have attached to the Agriculture Appropriations bill.
  FRAC has stood with me from day one of my End Hunger Now campaign. 
Like me, they believe that hunger is a political condition, that it is 
solvable. FRAC has been invaluable in this fight. They have organized 
countless numbers of food stamp challenges, including the two food 
stamp challenges that I participated in; and they work with important 
local antihunger groups like Project Bread and the Massachusetts Law 
Reform Institute, along with the Northeast Regional Anti-Hunger 
Network.
  FRAC is one of the leaders in the fight to end hunger now. Every 
single person who works at FRAC is committed to a shared vision of a 
hunger-free America. Whether it is working to expand the number of kids 
getting food during the summer or fighting against cuts to SNAP, the 
people who work for FRAC are doing everything they can to end hunger.
  I want to commend Jim Weill and his team at FRAC for everything they 
do. Not only are they true professionals, they care about their work. I 
want to thank everyone at FRAC for fighting to end hunger now.
  I hope, Mr. Speaker, as they continue their important work, we in 
Congress will be inspired to do more. It is shameful that this Congress 
has been so clueless when it comes it ending hunger. We and the White 
House need to develop a comprehensive plan with benchmarks and 
timetables to end hunger now and then enact it. Indifference and making 
believe that the problem will go away on its own is not a policy; it is 
an excuse to do nothing. Let's instead follow the example of FRAC and 
End Hunger Now.

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