[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 26]
[House]
[Pages 35552-35556]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   FEDERAL FOOD DONATION ACT OF 2007

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4220) to encourage the donation of excess food to nonprofit 
organizations that provide assistance to food-insecure people in the 
United States in contracts entered into by executive agencies for the 
provision, service, or sale of food, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4220

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Food Donation Act of 
     2007''.

     SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

       The purpose of this Act is to encourage executive agencies 
     and their contractors, whenever practical and safe, to donate 
     excess, apparently wholesome food to feed food-insecure 
     people in the United States.

     SEC. 3. PROMOTING FEDERAL FOOD DONATION.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Federal Acquisition Regulation shall be revised 
     to provide that each contract in an amount greater than 
     $25,000 for the provision, service, or sale of food, or for 
     the lease or rental of Federal property to a private entity 
     for events at which food is provided, shall include a clause 
     that--
       (1) encourages the donation of excess, apparently wholesome 
     food to nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to 
     food-insecure people in the United States;
       (2) provides that the head of an executive agency shall not 
     assume responsibility for the costs and logistics of 
     collecting, transporting, maintaining the safety of, or 
     distributing such excess, apparently wholesome food to food-
     insecure people in the United States; and
       (3) states that executive agencies and contractors making 
     donations pursuant to this Act are protected from civil or 
     criminal liability under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food 
     Donation Act (42 U.S.C. 1791).

     SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Excess.--The term ``excess'', when applied to food, 
     means food that is not required to meet the needs of 
     executive agencies and would otherwise be discarded.
       (2) Apparently wholesome food.--The term ``apparently 
     wholesome food'' has the meaning provided in section 2(b)(2) 
     of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (42 
     U.S.C. 1791(b)(2)).
       (3) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
     organization'' means any organization that is described in 
     section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is 
     exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.

[[Page 35553]]

       (4) Food insecure.--The term ``food insecure'' means 
     inconsistent access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Issa) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4220, the Federal Food Donation Act, as 
amended, is a modest measure designed to help address the very large 
problem of hunger in America. In 2005, 25 million people in this 
country, including 9 million children, had to rely on soup kitchens and 
other charitable food programs to help meet their nutritional needs.
  Introduced by Representative Jo Ann Emerson, H.R. 4220 requires 
Federal agencies to include in their food service and space rental 
contracts a provision that would encourage contractors to donate any 
surplus food to nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to the 
hungry. This bill builds on the work of some innovative nonprofit 
organizations that have been conducting similar programs in the private 
sector.
  The bill also includes provisions that will ensure that costs of 
collecting, transporting and storing donated food would not be borne by 
the Federal Government and that executive agencies and contractors 
would be protected from civil or criminal liability.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Together we can feed 
America in this rich country.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlelady, Mrs. Emerson, who, in her own right, is 
recognized as a leader in service to the hungry and unfortunate.
  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, with 35 million individuals, including 12 
million children, either experiencing hunger or teetering right on the 
verge of hunger each year, the American people expect us to take every 
reasonable action possible to address this crisis.
  The American people are generous with their time and with their 
resources. And particularly, during the Christmas season, they're 
willing to make the extra effort to donate their time at a soup kitchen 
or provide groceries to a food pantry. Unfortunately, the need for 
these donations is real and it's growing.
  The Federal Food Donation Act is one small way the Federal Government 
can mirror the everyday lives of the constituents we serve. This 
legislation would require executive agencies who serve food on their 
premises to encourage the donation of excess food to nonprofit 
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. Our constituents are willing to search through their 
pantries to donate excess food, and so should we.
  Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member 
Davis for their efforts on behalf of the hungry. The changes to this 
legislation made during committee markup are an improvement that will 
enhance the scope and impact this legislation will have.
  I'd also like to thank their dedicated staff for their time and 
counsel in drafting this legislation.
  I'd also like to particularly thank the dedicated individuals at Rock 
It and Wrap It Up for their efforts in conceiving and promoting this 
concept. This nonprofit organization has specialized in food recovery 
and has been thinking outside the box in the battle against hunger for 
years.
  Mr. Speaker, the effects of rising food prices have already been felt 
by our partners who serve the hungry. We learned today from the U.S. 
Conference of Mayors that their constituents are seeking emergency food 
aid more frequently and more homeless families are seeking shelter. 
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.
  I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 4220.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to Mr. 
McGovern, the gentleman from Massachusetts, who led us earlier on this 
very issue and succeeded in getting increases in food stamps this very 
year.

                              {time}  1330

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the District of 
Columbia for yielding me the time and for her support for this bill and 
for so many other important issues.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4220, the Federal Food 
Donation Act of 2007.
  Let me begin by commending the sponsor of this legislation, 
Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson. Congresswoman Emerson is a true champion 
for the hungry in this country. She's a friend who doesn't just talk 
about hunger, but is a leader in the effort to fight to end hunger in 
this country.
  It's not an easy effort, and I know that she has to work to convince 
people around this country and in this very building that there are 
people who still go without food in this great Nation of ours. She's a 
shining example of someone who puts partisanship aside and works 
towards a goal that should be achievable.
  So I want to thank Congresswoman Emerson for her steadfast leadership 
on this issue and for introducing this important legislation.
  I also want to thank Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Davis and the 
other members of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for 
their quick and thorough work on this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, hunger is getting worse in America. More than 35.5 
million people went hungry in the United States in 2006, an increase of 
more than 300,000 from 2005. There are many in Congress who talk about 
the booming economy and economic growth, but it is clear that millions 
of Americans are not benefiting from this so-called economic expansion.
  The costs of living in America are rising. Energy costs are 
increasing, food prices continue to go up, and the housing crisis is 
straining the budgets of middle- and lower-income families. The reality 
is that many Americans are walking a fiscal tightrope where any 
economic change or family crisis, like an unexpected illness or job 
loss, could force people to go without food for a period of time.
  That we are even talking about any person going hungry in the richest 
and most prosperous Nation in the world is an embarrassment, and we 
should all be ashamed for not doing more to combat hunger here at home.
  H.R. 4220 is a good step in the fight against hunger. Unfortunately, 
it's not going to end hunger in America, but it will provide one more 
way to fight hunger.
  As has already been described, the Federal Food Donation Act would 
require executive agencies who serve food on their premises to 
encourage the donation of excess food to nonprofit 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. The 
Oversight and Government Reform Committee broadened the scope of this 
bill, and I'm especially pleased the bill was expanded to include the 
Department of Defense.
  The reality is that food costs are increasing; and America's food 
banks, the safety net of our anti-hunger system, is straining to meet 
this need. According to a new report released today by the U.S. 
Conference of Mayors, requests for food increased an average of 12 
percent over the last year. Yet at the same time, a recent Washington 
Post article reports that the Capital Area Food Bank, the emergency 
food system for Washington, DC, had only 230,000 pounds of food on its 
shelves, down from 570,000 pounds at this time last year. Nationwide, 
food donations to food banks are expected to fall short of the need by 
15 million pounds.
  Mr. Speaker, we need to do more to address and ultimately end hunger 
in America. The Federal safety net developed over the years, the Food 
Stamp program, Meals on Wheels, school meals and the emergency food 
system, is working but it is strained. Private organizations like 
Catholic Charities

[[Page 35554]]

and the Nation's food banks, just to name two examples, are filling the 
gaps where they can. It is time we commit to ending hunger once and for 
all. It's time that we dedicate the resources of our great Nation to 
ending this scourge. The Federal Food Donation Act is a good first 
step, and I'm pleased that the House is acting on it today.
  Mr. Speaker, I insert into the Record at this point two articles 
documenting the shortage of food for the hungry in this country and one 
article announcing the U.S. Conference of Mayors report on hunger and 
homelessness.

                     [From Newsweek, Nov. 26, 2007]

                       Blessed Is the Full Plate

                           (By Anna Quindlen)

       One of the most majestic dining rooms in New York City is 
     in the Church of the Holy Apostles. After the landmark 
     building was nearly destroyed by fire in 1990, the Episcopal 
     parish made the decision not to replace the pews so that the 
     nave could become a place of various uses. There are 
     traditional Sunday services, of course, and the gay and 
     lesbian synagogue on Friday evenings. And every weekday more 
     than a thousand people eat lunch at round tables beneath 12-
     foot stained-glass windows and a priceless Dutch pipe organ.
       ``You can't get more Biblical than feeding the hungry:' 
     says the Rev. William Greenlaw, the rector.
       Holy Apostles has fed the hungry for 25 years now without 
     missing a single weekday, including the morning after the 
     fire, when the church lay in ruins, still smoldering, and 943 
     meals were served by candlelight. There's a queue on Ninth 
     Avenue by midmorning; sometimes tourists think there's a wait 
     for some exclusive New York happening until they notice the 
     shabby clothes, piles of shopping bags and unshaven faces 
     that are the small unmistakable markers of poverty.
       The poor could be forgiven for feeling somewhat poorer 
     nowadays. The share of the nation's income going to the top 1 
     percent of its citizens is at its highest level since 1928, 
     just before the big boom went bust. But poverty is not a 
     subject that's been discussed much by the current 
     administration, who were wild to bring freedom to the Iraqis 
     but not bread to the South Bronx. ``Hunger is hard for us as 
     a nation to admit,'' says Clyde Kuemmerle, who oversees the 
     volunteers at Holy Apostles. ``That makes it hard to talk 
     about and impossible to run on.''
       At Holy Apostles the issue is measured in mouthfuls. Pasta, 
     collard greens, bread, cling peaches. But in this anniversary 
     year the storage shelves are less full, the pipeline less 
     predictable. The worst emergency food shortage in years is 
     plaguing charities from Maine to California, even while the 
     number of those who need help grows. The director of City 
     Harvest in New York, Jilly Stephens, has told her staff they 
     have to find another million pounds of food over the next few 
     months to make up the shortfall. ``Half as many pantry bags'' 
     is the mantra heard now that the city receives half the 
     amount of emergency food than it once did from the Feds. In 
     Los Angeles 24 million pounds of food in 2002 became 15 
     million in 2006; in Oregon 13 million pounds dwindled to six. 
     It's a cockamamie new math that denies the reality of hunger 
     amid affluence.
       There are many reasons why. An agriculture bill that would 
     have increased aid and the food-stamp allotment has been 
     knocking around Congress, where no one ever goes hungry. 
     Donations from a federal program that buys excess crops from 
     farmers and gives them to food banks has shrunk alarmingly. 
     Even the environment and corporate efficiency have 
     contributed to empty pantries: more farmers are producing 
     corn for ethanol, and more companies have conquered quality 
     control, cutting down on those irregular cans and battered 
     boxes that once went to the needy.
       What hasn't shrunk is the size of the human stomach. At 
     lunchtime at Holy Apostles, Ernest is hungry, his hand 
     bandaged because he got in a fight, even though he is sober 
     now and has his own place in the Bronx. Janice is hungry, 
     too, she of the beautiful manners and carefully knotted 
     headscarf, who sleeps on the train on winter nights and walks 
     with a cane since being hit by a car. There are the two 
     veterans, both Marines, with the raddled faces and slightly 
     unfocused eyes of those who sleep outdoors, which means 
     mostly always being half-awake, and that group of Chinese 
     women who don't speak English, and the Muslim couple who sit 
     alone. Mostly it's single men at Holy Apostles. Some are 
     mentally ill, and some are addicts, and to repair their lives 
     would take a lot of help. But at the moment they have an 
     immediate problem with an immediate answer: pasta, collard 
     greens, bread, cling peaches.
       This place is a blessing, and an outrage. ``We call these 
     people our guests,'' says the rector. ``They are the children 
     of God.'' That's real God talk. The political arena has been 
     lousy with the talk-show variety in recent years: worrying 
     about whether children could pray in school instead of 
     whether they'd eaten before they got there, obsessing about 
     the beginning of life instead of the end of poverty, 
     concerned with private behavior instead of public generosity.
       There's a miracle in which an enormous crowd comes to hear 
     Jesus and he feeds them all by turning a bit of bread and 
     fish into enough to serve the multitudes. The truth is that 
     America is so rich that political leaders could actually 
     produce some variant of that miracle if they had the will. 
     And, I suppose, if they thought there were votes in it. 
     Enough with the pious sanctimony about gay marriage and 
     abortion. If elected officials want to bring God talk into 
     public life, let it be the bedrock stuff, about charity and 
     mercy and the least of our brethren. Instead of the 
     performance art of the presidential debate, the candidates 
     should come to Holy Apostles and do what good people, people 
     of faith, do there every day--feed the hungry, comfort the 
     weary, soothe the afflicted. And wipe down the tables after 
     each seating. Here's a prayer for every politician: pasta, 
     collard greens, bread, cling peaches. Amen.
                                  ____


                [From the Washington Post, Dec. 8, 2007]

                    Cupboards Are Bare at Food Banks

                           (By Philip Rucker)

       Area food banks are experiencing a critical shortage of 
     supplies as donations drop dramatically and as demand for 
     free and discounted food continues to soar.
       The Capital Area Food Bank, the region's primary 
     distribution center, reported that it had about 230,000 
     pounds of goods on its shelves this week, down from 570,000 
     pounds at this time last year, officials said.
       The short supplies, which are hitting food banks and soup 
     kitchens across the nation, stem from a combination of 
     factors: Federal supplies of excess farm goods have dropped, 
     in part because of the summer drought and because farmers are 
     selling more of their products internationally. Donations 
     from grocery stores, a major source for food banks, have 
     fallen as supermarket chains consolidate, increase efficiency 
     and tighten inventory controls.
       Overall this year, the Capital Area Food Bank is projecting 
     totals to fall roughly 6 percent below last year's total of 
     19.5 million pounds. The situation has been particularly bad 
     in recent weeks, officials said. At the Northeast Washington 
     warehouse earlier this week, some refrigerated shelves, 
     usually stacked with produce and meats, stood empty.
       ``We're getting a lot less food donated from companies and 
     individuals,'' operations director Christopher Leal said. 
     ``We have really nothing.''
       At the same time, economic factors have conspired to force 
     many more people toward the brink of hunger. Calls to the 
     food bank's Hunger Lifeline are up about 37 percent from last 
     year.
       And it's not just in the District. The Manna Food Center in 
     Montgomery County served more than 2,200 families last month, 
     about 200 more than the previous November. In Fairfax County, 
     Reston Interfaith's food service has doubled over the past 
     three years.
       ``Good, working people are having a harder time making ends 
     meet,'' said Kerrie Wilson, executive director of Reston 
     Interfaith. ``So far, we've not had to turn folks away, but 
     we have limited the number of times we'll help someone. . . . 
     You do less for more.''
       America's Second Harvest, the country's leading hunger-
     relief charity, is projecting a shortage of 15 million pounds 
     of food this year at its more than 200 network food banks. 
     That would be enough food to serve 11.7 million meals or fill 
     400 trucks.
       At food banks from Maine to Florida to California, ``demand 
     is up, and food is flying out the door faster than ever,'' 
     spokesman Ross Fraser said.
       ``Our inventories are as depleted as they've ever been 
     before,'' Fraser said. ``Our food banks keep calling here 
     saying, `My God, you've got to help us. We desperately need 
     help.'''
       Edward Cooney, who has been an anti-hunger activist since 
     1972, said he has never seen food supplies dwindling and 
     demand rising the way they are now.
       ``I've been in a few food banks, and I've looked at the 
     shelves,'' said Cooney, executive director of the Washington-
     based Congressional Hunger Center. ``You just see huge 
     warehouses where you see empty shelves. Ain't nothing 
     there.''
       About 85 percent of food donations to the Capital Area Food 
     Bank come from corporations, including grocery chains, chief 
     operating officer Brian Smith said.
       Just 4 percent are from individuals, and 11 percent are 
     from the federal government.
       Improvements in inventory controls and store-ordering 
     procedures among supermarket chains have limited the supplies 
     donated to food banks.
       ``Food retailers are in business to sell food and not to 
     have a lot of discarded food,'' said Giant spokesman Barry F. 
     Scher, who is also vice chairman of the food bank's board of 
     directors.
       Although the quantity of food that Giant donates has 
     dropped, Scher said, proceeds from in-store campaigns in 
     which customers give money for the hungry are increasing. And 
     the Landover-based chain will continue to donate food to 
     charities, he said.
       The shortage is exacerbated by a decline in federal 
     assistance. For years, food banks

[[Page 35555]]

     have relied on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's bonus 
     commodity program, which buys surplus crops such as peaches 
     and cranberries, as well as livestock such as turkeys, ducks 
     and bison, from domestic farmers.
       But the amounts of bonus commodities have dropped. Five 
     years ago, the department bought more than $200 million worth 
     of surplus products. In 2005, that figure fell to $154 
     million. This year, the agency is projecting $58 million.
       ``The reason that they're down, obviously, is that the farm 
     market is doing very well,'' said Nancy M. Johner, 
     undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services.
       Johner said farmers are selling more of their products 
     internationally. That trend, coupled with a severe drought 
     that affected much of the country this year, has left farmers 
     with relatively few surplus crops, she said.
       This is difficult news for food pantries and soup kitchens 
     in the Washington region, where the Capital Area Food Bank 
     estimates that more than 600,000 residents are at risk of 
     hunger.
       Bread for the City, one of the District's largest pantries, 
     has served about 2,000 more families this year than in 2006, 
     executive director George Jones said.
       ``It's a big jump,'' he said. ``A lot of these families are 
     people that have some resources, are housed, and use our 
     resources to augment their incomes. They really are living on 
     the edge.''
       With gasoline prices and utility rates rising and the 
     economy softening amid a mortgage crisis, many of the 
     region's working families are struggling to pay their bills 
     and are seeking help at food banks and soup kitchens.
       Bertina Fox used to donate clothing to Bread for the City. 
     The 29-year-old from Northwest Washington said she never 
     imagined she would someday come asking for food. But when she 
     quit her job at an AIDS clinic earlier this year, she began 
     coming to Bread for the City each month for a basket of fish 
     and vegetables, as well as frozen pizzas and chicken nuggets 
     for her 5-year-old son.
       ``When I fell on hard times, I knew of the services 
     there,'' she said. ``A lot of people can't make it day to day 
     without them. I'm certainly one of those people.''
       Fox was to start a new job at an area hospital yesterday. 
     Once back on her feet, Fox said, she hopes to start donating 
     to the center again.
                                  ____


                    [From USA TODAY, Dec. 17, 2007]

                         More Families Seek Aid

                            (By Wendy Koth)

       More people are requesting emergency food aid and more 
     homeless families with children are seeking shelter, 
     concludes a 23-city survey released Monday by the U.S. 
     Conference of Mayors.
       Four of five cities say requests for food aid rose an 
     average of 12% from the previous year, according to the 
     survey for the period covering November 2006 through October 
     2007. Most cities had reported a jump in such requests the 
     prior year as well.
       Ten of 14 cities with data on homeless families say more 
     families with children sought emergency shelter and 
     transitional housing. About half of the cities say their 
     overall homeless problem increased. Collectively, the cities 
     report giving shelter to 193,183 people.
       ``We're heading in the wrong direction because of poverty, 
     unemployment and housing costs,'' says Trenton Mayor Douglas 
     Palmer, president of the mayors conference. He added that the 
     full effects of record mortgage foreclosures have yet to be 
     seen. The report does cite some progress. Of 11 cities with 
     data on homeless adults seeking shelter, five--Louisville; 
     Nashville; Philadelphia; Portland, Ore., and Seattle--report 
     a decline. Also, the length of stays in shelters and 
     transitional housing for single adults and families 
     shortened.
       Last month, the federal government reported a 12% decline 
     in the number of chronically homeless adults who live on the 
     streets or in emergency shelters. The number fell to 155,623 
     in January 2006 from 175,914 in January 2005, according to 
     the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
       HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson says the numbers ``show 
     remarkable progress is being made.'' He attributed the 
     decline to better reporting and more local and federal 
     resources for permanent housing, health care and other 
     services.
       Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie takes little comfort in HUD's 
     numbers.
       He says chronically homeless adults account for only 10% of 
     all homeless people. ``There are still more people needing 
     help.''
       The mayors' report is limited because it surveys only 23 
     cities, each of which collects data differently, says Mark 
     Nord, lead author of an annual food security report by the 
     U.S. Department of Agriculture.
       The USDA's most recent report, released last month, says 4% 
     of households lacked adequate access to food in 2006, about 
     the same as in 2005.
       It also found, however, that the number of households 
     obtaining food from community providers rose 26% from 2001 to 
     2006, and the number of households having the least access to 
     food rose 32%, or 1.3 million, during that time. USDA data do 
     not include the homeless.
       Most of the 205 food banks that belong to America's Second 
     Harvest, the nation's largest hunger-relief group, say demand 
     has risen at least 20% this year, according to group 
     spokesman Ross Fraser.
       ``Even in places like New Hampshire, which you wouldn't 
     think of as needy, the demand is way up,'' Fraser says. He 
     says financial contributions have held steady but food 
     donations, including those from the USDA, have fallen. At 
     this rate, he says, food banks will fall nearly 12 million 
     meals short this year.

                                CITIES REPORT RISING DEMAND FOR FOOD AND SHELTER
                                   [Findings from November 2006-0ctober 2007]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Number of
                City                    Demand for emergency      homeless      Demand for emergency shelter or
                                              food aid          people served         transitional housing
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boston..............................  increased..............           6,636  increased
Charleston, S.C.....................  NA.....................           1,658  NA
Charlotte...........................  increased..............           9,498  NA
Chicago.............................  increased..............              NA  NA
Cleveland...........................  same...................          13,103  NA
Denver..............................  increased..............          71,480  NA
Des Moines..........................  increased..............           6,068  increased
Detroit.............................  increased..............           4,738  NA
Kansas City.........................  NA.....................           2,509  increased
Los Angeles.........................  increased..............           7,960  NA
Louisville..........................  increased..............          10,933  decreased
Miami...............................  increased..............           1,100  NA
Nashville...........................  increased..............          11,213  decreased
Philadelphia........................  increased..............          13,335  decreased
Phoenix.............................  increased..............              NA  NA
Portland, Ore.......................  decreased..............           3,189  decreased
Providence..........................  increased..............           2,819  increased
Salt Lake City......................  increased..............           4,230  increased
San Francisco.......................  increased..............           9,791  NA
Santa Monica, Calif.................  increased..............             924  NA
Seattle.............................  same...................           4,360  decreased
St. Paul............................  NA.....................           5,083  increased
Trenton, N.J........................  same...................           2,459  NA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support and join with my colleagues in 
supporting and sponsoring the gentlelady from Missouri's bill, H.R. 
4220, the Federal Food Donation Act of 2007.
  As Mrs. Emerson said so well, the effort to aid nonprofit 
organizations to serve the hungry will be advanced by this bill and its 
amendment to the Federal acquisition regulations and to encourage 
Federal agencies and contractors to donate excessive foods to food 
pantries, food shelters, and homes for the homeless.
  This bill also seeks to protect agencies and contractors from civil 
or criminal liabilities associated with these types of donations. It is 
sad but true in this country that often good deeds go punished as a 
result of the advent of those who would profit by suing over the good 
deeds of others. This bill tries to balance those two to encourage the 
good deeds of others and to shelter them from the type of adverse 
behavior

[[Page 35556]]

that might cause people to throw away food rather than give it to the 
poor.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentlelady from 
Missouri for her sponsorship and authorship of this important 
legislation.
  I do want to say that the names of Mickey Leland, Bill Emerson, Tony 
Hall, I think, stand out in terms of what we did years ago, Mr. 
Speaker; that perhaps maybe this Congress needs to reestablish a select 
committee on hunger like we did years ago when it was chaired by Mr. 
Mickey Leland from Texas and also the gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Bill 
Emerson, and also the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Tony Hall.
  I believe that as a member of the committee at that time we were 
very, very much into the concerns that were expressed quite eloquently 
by my good friend, the gentleman from Massachusetts, the problems that 
we're dealing with and the subject of hunger.
  I think we are moving in the right direction, and I just wanted to 
note, Mr. Speaker, that this issue of hunger really needs to be 
addressed seriously. And I want to commend the gentlelady from Missouri 
for her efforts, not only in continuing the legacy of her husband but 
the fact that this is a very serious issue, and I wish that perhaps my 
colleagues and the leadership of the House will reestablish that select 
committee on hunger like we did years ago so that we will not forget. 
We're moving in the right direction. We need to do more for the needy 
and for the poor.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, years ago, nonprofits, mostly churches, fed 
people at Christmas and Thanksgiving. These nonprofits have become 
life-saving, year-round operations. What has occurred ironically over 
the past couple of years is a development that none of us anticipated, 
a shortage of food in these food banks of whatever description, and 
they come in part because of the efficiency of the food industry 
itself.
  The food industry itself has become increasingly, like many other 
industries in our country, increasingly efficient so that there is less 
food to give away. We greet and welcome that efficiency, and we 
understand the need for it, especially in the food industry where the 
profit margins are so narrow. At the same time, our agricultural 
industry has become increasingly efficient, and it is, of course, one 
of the most efficient industries in the country.
  The net effect of this is some food goes abroad. Very importantly is 
that there is less food that is excess food to give away, so that you 
have nonprofits throughout the country, some of them have been cited in 
the remarks of my colleagues because they are well known as having 
originated here, like the Capital Food Bank; Bread for the City; SOME, 
So Others May Eat; and not to mention the churches which were the first 
to step up and perform this service.
  We just have got to find a way to get what we know is excess food, 
that all of us understand, have seen, all of us know exists, to where 
that food is most needed; and I believe that of the many things we 
could do, the bill offered by Mrs. Emerson is certainly one way to 
begin to draw attention to what contractors may do as an act of 
goodwill, without incurring any burden on themselves. Indeed, it should 
be a great burden at a time like this to spoil or throw away any food.
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, today the House of Representatives 
is considering an important piece of legislation. H.R. 4220, the 
Federal Food Donation Act of 2007 is a step in the right direction 
towards feeding the hungry in our nation. It is unacceptable that here 
in the richest nation in the world American children go to bed hungry 
while perfectly good food goes to waste. I am proud to be a sponsor of 
this bill--a bill that will not solve all hunger, but will solve some 
people's hunger.
  I want to thank Mrs. Emerson for introducing the Federal Food 
Donation Act. The bill will help the efforts of nonprofit organizations 
serving the hungry. Agencies and contractors are encouraged to donate 
safe and wholesome food to nonprofit organizations that provide 
assistance to food-insecure people, while avoiding another mandate or 
further layer of bureaucracy. In order to help protect donors, the bill 
provides that executive agencies and contractors making donations are 
protected from civil or criminal liability
  While donating unused food is a good step in combating hunger in 
America, the fight is not over.
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my support for H.R. 4220--
The Federal Food Donation Act of 2007. During this holiday season, 
millions of Americans reach into their pockets and pantries to help 
those less fortunate in their communities. Many times these donations 
go to non-for-profits like the Community Harvest Food Bank in northeast 
Indiana or In-As-Much Ministries in Fort Wayne, Indiana. These 
organizations then hand-out the food to those in need. While the supply 
of donations is high this time of year, demand is even higher. This 
legislation will allow the Federal Government to help increase the 
supply of wholesome food to organizations by removing red tape and 
allowing excess food that would otherwise be wasted go to those who 
need it.
  In northeast Indiana demand has increased this year and the community 
has stepped up its efforts. Millers Poultry in Orland, Indiana has 
donated thousands of eggs and over 10,000 lbs of chicken to the 
Community Harvest Food Bank. The local Farmers and Hunters Feeding the 
Hungry group in northeast Indiana has also donated 15,000 lbs of 
venison. With help from processors like New Haven's Custom Meats and 
Lengacher Meats in Grabill, this venison is easily distributed to 
hungry families in the community.
  While 25,000 lbs of meat seems like a lot, local pantries in Fort 
Wayne are giving out 10,000 lbs of food per day. I would like to thank 
those who have helped fill local food banks and urge those who have not 
yet donated to contact their local food bank or charity and give all 
you can to help those going hungry this Christmas Season.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4220, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________