[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18788]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                           HUNGER RELIEF ACT

  (Mrs. CLAYTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, we all recognize that we are enjoying 
great prosperity, prosperity that we have not experienced ever before, 
and this is indeed a time to do those things that we could not afford 
to do before.
  I want to bring to my colleagues' attention that there is a bill, 
H.R. 3192, it is called the Hunger Relief Act, and it has more than 180 
cosponsors; and in the Senate, it has more than 39 cosponsors. It is a 
bipartisan bill.
  It is a bill that looks at the fact that the least among us are not 
able to feed themselves. Some estimate that there are more than 40 
million people who are facing hunger, or hunger insecurity. This is the 
time indeed, if we want to use the surplus, part of that surplus should 
be used to relieve those who are indeed suffering from hunger.
  I would say to my colleagues, we would be spending more money, truly 
we would; but investing in nutrition would reduce, guess what, the cost 
of health care. Vesting in nutrition would mean that children would 
learn better. So this would be an investment, Mr. Speaker, that I think 
we cannot afford not to do.
  Please, let us bring this bill up on suspension so we can do this 
before the end of this Congress.

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