[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17220]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   TEMPORARY AUTHORITY FOR CONGRESSIONAL HUNGER CENTER TO AWARD BILL 
              EMERSON AND MICKY LELAND HUNGER FELLOWSHIPS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 6, 2003

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
2474. Mickey Leland, our former colleague once said ``I cannot get used 
to hunger and desperate poverty in our plentiful land. There is no 
reason for it, there is no excuse for it, and it is time that we as a 
nation put an end to it.'' But, according to USDA statistics, there are 
33 million children suffering from pangs of hunger and poverty and 
nearly 300 million in the world. Hunger is still rampant.
  The Congressional Hunger Center founded in 1993, successfully 
educates leaders to fight hunger globally. It is through this entity 
that the Emerson-Leland Fellowships are administered, and I stand 
strongly in support of this legislation.
  H.R. 2474 authorizes the use of funds already appropriated for the 
Emerson-Leland Hunger fellowships for fiscal year 2003 and 2004. 
However, these funds were appropriated in The Farm Security and Rural 
Investment Act of 2002, which created an independent agency in the 
legislative branch. The act established an endowment in the Department 
of Treasury and a board of trustees to supervise and direct the program 
that is not yet operational. This presents a barrier to the foot 
soldiers of compassion, who are primed and ready to fight hunger both 
here and abroad while fulfilling the vision of Mickey Leland and Bill 
Emerson.
  Substantial progress has been made to feed the hungry in the United 
States and abroad, yet much is still needed, and I am in full support 
of equipping the willing in this fight with whatever means are 
necessary to do so. This bill allows those funds to be used by the 
Congressional Hunger Center for hunger fellowships.

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