[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8776]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

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                     NATIONAL HUNGER AWARENESS DAY

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today in honor of National Hunger 
Awareness Day. On this day, we focus on the more than 50 million people 
in the United States without enough to eat and reassert our commitment 
to assist those in need.
  Millions of families live each day not knowing if they will have 
enough to eat. Rather than thinking about what the next meal will be, 
these parents worry if there will be a next meal. Rather than 
concentrate on homework, these children are trying not to think about 
their hunger pangs. In a nation as resourceful and agriculturally 
abundant as ours, this is inexcusable. If children--or adults--are 
hungry in America, that is a problem for all of us.
  The level of hunger in our Nation is at the highest level since the 
government began tracking food insecurity in 1995. The number of 
Americans experiencing hunger increased from 35.5 million in 2006 to 50 
million in 2011. In Illinois, over 11 percent of households are food 
insecure. These are working families who just aren't able to make ends 
meet and are forced to skip meals to make sure food will last through 
the week.
  At a time when millions of middle class Americans are struggling to 
keep up with higher gas prices and grocery bills, more families are 
looking to Federal programs for assistance. Throughout the country, 
Federal hunger assistance programs have responded to this growing need 
by providing essential support to hungry families. Over the past 2 
years, Illinois food banks have seen a 50-percent increase in requests 
for food assistance.
  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, applications for 
food stamps are on the rise at the same time recipients are making more 
frequent use of food pantries to fill gaps in their grocery needs. Over 
44 million people nationwide rely on the Federal food stamp program. 
Currently, 1,802,252 people in Illinois receive food stamps, an 
increase of 14 percent from last year and the highest level ever in 
Illinois. But for the millions of people who don't have assistance, 
everything is different.
  We know hunger is a reality in our communities. We see long lines at 
our food pantries. We have heard from seniors forced to choose between 
groceries and medication. And children are in our schools who have not 
had a decent meal since the previous day's school lunch. We see 
families showing up a day earlier than normal at the food pantry 
because the monthly pay is not stretching as far it once did. Parents 
are giving up their own meal to make sure their child has something to 
eat at night.
  Last week, I visited a Summer Food Service Program at the Boys & 
Girls Club in Decatur, IL. This summer program provides 2 free meals a 
day to up to 150 children. For the over 500,000 Illinois children in 
food insecure households, the summertime means months without the free 
and reduced breakfasts and lunches available in school. Thanks to the 
Summer Food Service Program, food banks, and food pantries, families 
who are having a difficult time keeping up in our tough economy are 
able to put meals on the table. One woman with three kids in the Summer 
Food Service Program in Decatur said the meals provided in the program 
help her save money so she can afford to put gas in her car to get to 
work.
  In the Nation that prides itself as the land of plenty, we cannot 
hide the fact that we need to protect these vital antihunger programs 
and that we need to do better at making sure everybody has at least 
enough to eat. As Congress works to rein in our Nation's debt, I look 
forward to working with my colleagues to ensure we make responsible 
decisions that protect vital antihunger programs like the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program.
  If there is one hungry person in our Nation, hunger will be a problem 
for all of us. I hope we will continue to work together to fulfill our 
duty to end hunger in our Nation and the world.

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